


The Only Constant

by notquiteintoxicated



Series: Changes [3]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Developing Relationship, Fluff, Future Fic, Light Angst, M/M, Minor Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-27
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2018-12-07 16:42:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 36,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11627625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notquiteintoxicated/pseuds/notquiteintoxicated
Summary: With the events from six years ago behind them, Tsukishima and Kageyama deal with the changes in their daily lives while simultaneously navigating through their fledgling relationship – with varying degrees of success.They make things work as best as two emotionally inept individuals can, but nothing is ever smooth sailing with these two.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story starts roughly two weeks after the last chapter of part one. Consider chapter one as a prologue of sorts.
> 
> P.S. If you're finding this for the first time, it will not make sense unless you've read [Some Things Don't Change](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7599721/chapters/17294581) so I really recommend reading that first.

On a normal day, the small park near Tsukishima’s apartment building would be teeming with life. There would be children running and playing around, filling the air with laughter as their parents watched over them.

Kageyama enjoyed watching that scene, especially on the occasions where a few children would be tossing a little volleyball among them, not quite playing the proper game yet but, at the very least, showing interest in the sport. Sometimes, Kageyama liked to imagine what those kids would be like in a few years. Would they still enjoy playing volleyball? What would their teams be like? What positions would they play? (Setters, obviously, because everyone knew that was the best position.)

Today, however, Kageyama had not been given the privilege to witness any of that. The weather had been deceptively sunny that morning but, come late afternoon, the sky turned overcast and soon broke out in torrential rain. The usually lively park now sat lifeless in the downpour, lonely and unused against the backdrop of a murky gray sky.

Kageyama ran up the stairs to Tsukishima’s floor, taking two steps at a time, in a bid to get out of the rain as fast as he could. He was caught off-guard with no umbrella and only a flimsy hoodie to keep most of the cold away. A flimsy hoodie which was now sopping wet.

Maybe he should have checked the weather forecast, Kageyama mused as he took his hoodie off, revealing the plain white shirt that he wore underneath. He bunched the clothing up in his hand and held it above the balcony railing, squeezing the excess water out. The weather was a bit colder than he was comfortable with and his clothes were soaked but, assuming Tsukishima got home in the next hour or so, he probably wouldn’t need to suffer much.

Kageyama inspected the sweater in his hands. It was still wet but, at least, it was no longer dripping. Deciding that that was better than trying to brave the cold with nothing on but his thin shirt, he pulled the sweater back on and then sat by Tsukishima’s door to wait.

# 

He must have fallen asleep because the next thing Kageyama knew, he was being woken up by a stern, unhappy voice.

“What were you thinking sleeping outside my door in this weather? Actually, no, don’t answer that. You obviously weren’t thinking.”

Kageyama tried to stand but his limbs felt like lead, so he settled for talking to Tsukishima from where he sat on the floor. “I was waiting for you,” he managed to say.

Tsukishima crossed his arms on his chest and watched Kageyama with a frown. He didn’t say anything but they both knew there was no need to. Tsukishima had this uncanny ability to let other people sense his condescension even in silence. _Especially_ in silence. It was almost a superpower.

Kageyama found it unfair, to be honest. All he wanted was to surprise Tsukishima by coming over unannounced. The ‘getting soaked’ and ‘freezing outside’ parts were not included in his plan but, really, it was just getting caught under a bit of water. No big deal. He hardly deserved this level of criticism for that – especially since he had good intentions. Here he was, trying for a romantic gesture and being judged for his troubles, and to make matters even worse, he was feeling more and more miserable by the second. His eyes were drooping from exhaustion, his entire body was heavy, and his head felt like it couldn’t decide whether it was being split in two or if the world was spinning.

Okay, so maybe Kageyama had to concede that it wasn’t just ‘a bit of water’ that he got caught under. _A torrential downpour is what it was,_ said a voice in his head that strangely sounded like Tsukishima. A voice that Kageyama willfully ignored.

Something seemed to catch Tsukishima’s eye because in an instant, he was kneeling down and reaching for Kageyama’s sleeve. “What’s wrong? Are you al–? Your clothes are soaked!” It seemed Tsukishima didn’t notice it earlier because he sounded surprised. “What did you do? Run around in the rain?” He touched Kageyama’s forehead with his other hand and clicked his tongue disapprovingly.

“You should’ve called me. I would’ve left work earlier if I knew you were out here like this.” Tsukishima hooked Kageyama’s arm around his shoulders and pushed both of them up. “Come on, let’s get you inside.”

Kageyama stayed silent through it all. He was very tired and even talking felt like a chore. He just wanted to go back to sleep so he let Tsukishima manhandle him into the apartment with no protest.

Soon, Kageyama was deposited onto the couch and Tsukishima made quick work of removing his wet clothes, all while maintaining a steady commentary.

“Ugh, look at you. I don’t know how you managed to survive on your own until now. Even children know not to stay out in the cold like this, especially if they’re already wet from the rain. You could’ve called me to come home sooner but _no_ , you had to stay out there and wait. Do you know what a phone is? Do you know what an umbrella is?”

Those were rhetorical questions, obviously, so Kageyama saved his breath and let Tsukishima continue the nagging monologue.

Once Kageyama was down to his underwear, Tsukishima left for the bedroom, presumably to bring some clothes out. A few moments later, this hunch was confirmed when Tsukishima stepped out holding a long-sleeved shirt and a pair of sweatpants – both of which Kageyama recognized.

“You left these last time you came over.” Tsukishima walked over to the couch and guided Kageyama into a sitting position to help him get dressed. The sweatpants proved to be a challenge but they eventually succeeded after a bit of wriggling on Kageyama’s part.

“Thanks,” Kageyama muttered as Tsukishima sat beside him.

“How are you feeling?” Tsukishima asked. Kageyama was pleased that he no longer sounded irritated.

“I still feel sleepy and tired but at least my limbs no longer feel like noodles.”

“You do realize you have no one to blame but yourself?”

“You say that as if I wanted this to happen.” Kageyama laid back down on the couch, resting his head on Tsukishima’s lap. “You have terrible bedside manner. Stop scolding me and offer me comfort.”

“I don’t comfort people who make irresponsible life choices – which reminds me, why didn’t you just call me to get you, instead of waiting out in the cold?”

“I wanted to surprise you. You weren’t expecting me to come over today, right?”

Tsukishima lightly flicked Kageyama’s forehead. “And look what that got you.”

Kageyama reached for Tsukishima’s hand before he could pull it back and intertwined their fingers. “Can you stop being angry at me for one second? I’m too sleepy to fight back so it’s one-sided and unfair.”

“You’re using the ‘sick card’ against me. Who’s not playing fair now?”

Kageyama answered with a yawn. Above him, he heard Tsukishima sigh.

“Alright, fine.” Tsukishima ran his free hand through Kageyama’s hair as he spoke. “But for the record, I’m still judging you.”

Kageyama was too tired to care about that last part. He simply hummed in response before letting his eyes droop, allowing the gentle motions of Tsukishima’s hand to lull him to sleep.

#

When Kageyama woke up again, he was lying on Tsukishima’s bed. It was still dark out so he knew it wasn’t the following day yet, but what time it was exactly, he had no idea. He reached for the bedside table and, after a few seconds of fumbling and toppling over a few objects, he found his phone and checked the time. 9 PM. He slept for about three hours.

Kagayema flicked the bedside lamp on. He was just about to get up when the door creaked open, revealing Tsukishima, who seemed to be holding some sort of tray.

“Oh, you _are_ awake,” Tsukishima set the tray down on top of the bed. “I thought I heard something. You knocked over my alarm clock again, didn’t you?”

“Sorry, I was looking for my phone.” Kageyama’s eyes travelled down to the tray, which, he now realized, contained a bowl of what looked to be porridge. “Is that for me?”

“No, it’s for the neighbor,” Tsukishima deadpanned, “I was just showing it to you to see if you approved.”

Kageyama didn’t roll his eyes because it might make him dizzy. Instead, he reached for the bowl and shoved a spoonful of porridge into his mouth. “Isht gud, mmanks.”

Tsukishima made a disgusted face. “Swallow first, _then_ talk.” He reached down to pick up the alarm clock that had fallen to the floor and sat on the edge of the bed, beside Kageyama. “Feeling better?”

Kageyama made sure to stare Tsukishima squarely in the eye as he swallowed the porridge in his mouth, as if to say, ‘there, happy?’ “A little hungry, but I feel fine. I feel rested.”

“Good. Though, you should probably take tomorrow off to be sure.”

“Nah, just a good night’s sleep and I’d be good to go.” Kageyama appreciated Tsukishima’s concern but really, he was made of stronger stuff than that.

Tsukishima took time to answer. He looked like he had a lot of things to say but was debating whether or not he should say them, which Kageyama found surprising because Tsukishima was the type of person who gladly said what was on his mind (even when what he had to say was offensive).

After a few seconds, Tsukishima finally spoke, his tone of voice falling somewhere between worried and annoyed. “You’re pushing yourself too hard. That’s probably why you got sick this easily. You were under a lot of stress these past several weeks.”

At that point, Kageyama understood that the topic of their conversation had gone beyond his current mild sickness and onto the sore subject of the media fiasco about him, which had only started to die down about a week ago. Admittedly, he had been in bad shape then (mostly due to being unable to sleep), but the situation was a lot better now and so was he. Kageyama understood the cause for concern but he would really prefer for Tsukishima not to be so touchy about it. It was cute the first few times but now it was getting a little stifling.

A sudden realization crossed Kageyama’s mind. This situation was eerily familiar. He had gone through the same thing before, only he was on the opposite end back then. He couldn’t help but laugh. Oh, how the tables have turned.

The sudden laughter earned Kageyama a stink-eye from Tsukishima. “I’m glad that you find my show of genuine concern for your well-being very funny.”

“No, it’s not that. I just–” Kageyama fought off the next bout of laughter that threatened to come out, “I think I finally understand what you meant when you said I was going overboard with the, uh… protectiveness.”

“Do explain.”

“You’re doing it right now. To me.” Kageyama set the bowl back down on the tray and pushed it aside so he could scoot closer to Tsukishima. “I appreciate that you’re worried about me but you have to trust my judgment on what I can and cannot handle.”

Tsukishima didn’t look the least bit convinced. “I’d be more inclined to believe that if you didn’t have a reputation for overworking yourself. Try again.”

Kageyama reached for Tsukishima’s hand and rested it against his forehead. “No fever, see? I’m really feeling a lot better now. Honestly.” He lowered Tsukishima’s hand but didn’t let go. “I promised you before that I’ll be more careful, and I’ll always keep my promises to you.” He injected as much sincerity as he could into those words. He had to make sure Tsukishima understood.

Tsukishima kept the unimpressed look on his face, but Kageyama could make out the traces of the smile he was trying very hard to hide. “I’m surprised you didn’t internally combust when you said that cringey line,” Tsukishima said, before adding wistfully, “And to think, you used to be so shy…”

Kageyama couldn’t fight the blush that crept up his cheeks. Cheesy as it sounded, he meant those words so he had no problem saying them, but if Tsukishima was going to call him out on it then even he was not immune to getting embarrassed. He yanked his hand away from Tsukishima’s and gave the latter a light shove. “I’m being serious here! Don’t make fun of me!”

“But it’s so amusing!” Tsukishima’s eyes were dancing with mirth and Kageyama supposed he should be glad about that. If only it didn’t come at his expense.

“You’re such an ass.”

“That, I am.” Tsukishima looked far too pleased with himself. It was easy to forget that just a moment ago, he was irately giving Kageyama a lecture on properly taking care of oneself. “But you still like me.”

Kageyama crossed his arms on his chest. “Right now, not so much.”

“Oh?” Tsukishima cupped Kageyama’s face with both hands. “Let’s see if I can change your mind then,” he said before leaning in.

The last of Kageyama’s fake annoyance melted once he felt Tsukishima’s lips on his. He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around Tsukishima’s neck, pulling closer until he could feel the staccato rhythm of Tsukishima’s heart, beating against his chest. He felt an overwhelming rush of warmth and comfort, the same kind he always felt whenever he was this close to Tsukishima, the same kind that he couldn’t quite put into words. The closest thing he could ever come to explaining it was comparing it to the feeling of burrowing under layers upon layers of warm blankets, while heavy rain poured outside, and even then the explanation wouldn’t be enough. When it came to what he felt about Tsukishima, words were never enough.

A sigh escaped Kageyama’s lips. Tsukishima’s hands travelled downwards, dragging across his sides.

Tsukishima pulled back from the kiss, leaving just enough distance so he could speak. “Are you sure you’re well enough for this?” he asked, his breath ghosting over Kageyama’s mouth, “You can stop me anytime if you’re not.”

Kageyama answered by letting his weight fall back, pulling Tsukishima down with him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like they're a bit out of character and I'll work on that in future chapters. For now, please let me get away with the excuse that they're in the honeymoon phase.
> 
> EDIT: I was checking the series page after I posted this and I only just realized that the first chapter of part one (i.e. the chapter that started this entire series) was posted on this exact same day last year. What the hell. I didn't even mean for that to happen.


	2. Chapter 2

Meetings with Manager Sasaki were always tedious affairs and Kageyama _hated_ them with a passion. Manager Sasaki was a good enough guy, very diligent and serious about his work, but unfortunately, he had an annoying habit of talking too much.

With some people, some things could be said in a brief exchange lasting fifteen minutes tops, but not with Manager Sasaki. _Never_ with Manager Sasaki. If left unchecked, Manager Sasaki could prolong a mundane topic and stretch it out into hours and hours of conversation, blissfully ignorant of the fact that if he could just skip past the pointless jibber jabber, he could have gotten to the point forty minutes ago and saved himself from wasting everybody else’s time.

Kageyama couldn’t care less about Manager Sasaki’s supposedly thrilling exploits as a campus journalist in college. In fact, the only thing he cared about right now was whether or not he could get away with yelling ‘get to the damn point already!’ without getting scolded and, judging by the stern looks his agent was sending him from across the table, it was unlikely. So Kageyama went back to trying his hardest to tune Manager Sasaki’s voice out and pretending that the man was speaking in some alien language he couldn’t understand, at least, until he heard those unmistakable words from Manager Sasaki’s mouth and recognized them for the pure unadulterated evil that they were.

“Wait, did you say I’m doing a publicity campaign?” Kageyama asked, fear and incredulity unmasked in his expression. He couldn’t have heard what he thought he just heard. No way. It couldn’t be. He wouldn’t accept it.

“Oh, you’re still listening,” Manager Sasaki said, surprised. If Kageyama ever wondered if his team manager realized that he hadn’t been paying attention, then that was his confirmation that yes, his team manager most certainly did.

“It’s good that I still have your attention since I know how you feel about these things,” Manager Sasaki continued, “As you may have known, our team’s reputation took quite a hit because of the controversy about you.” Kageyama flinched at that but Manager Sasaki quickly placated him. “Not your fault, I understand, but nonetheless, these are the consequences we have to deal with.”

“I thought the public’s opinion has turned around ever since the story by Kageyama’s friend came out?” Sato, Kageyama’s agent, asked.

Kageyama breathed a sigh of relief. If anything, at least he could count on Sato to be on his side when it came to this matter. She understood how Kageyama felt about publicity and respected his desire to be spared from having to do it.

“The 24/7 media hunt and outward hatred for him has died down, but a lot of people are still convinced that he’s a bad guy, they’re just more quiet about it now,” Manager Sasaki went on to explain, “Let’s be honest, letting nature take its course and waiting for things to get fixed by itself will take a long time. Longer than we would like. Management is adamant that we fix all this before the start of the next V League season, which is in three months.”

Manager Sasaki leaned forwards on the table, eyes darting around, as though checking for possible eavesdroppers. When he was satisfied that no one was listening in, he spoke in a quieter voice. “This is all hush hush for now but the Blue Falcons is planning to debut its baseball team next year, and this PR campaign for the volleyball team, along with the team’s hopefully great performance in the upcoming V League, is all in preparation for that. We want to generate positive buzz about the Blue Falcons before the baseball team’s debut. Do you understand how important this is?”

“Yeah, but why me? If it’s so important then, wouldn’t other players on the team be better for this?” The image of the Blue Falcons’ Captain Kida – long hair, rugged good looks, and a mischievous smile that seemed to say, ‘I am up to no good but we both know you like it that way,’ – flashed in Kageyama’s mind. “What about the captain?” He asked.

“Kida? Of course, I’ve thought of him,” Manager Sasaki answered in a way that said he found Kageyama silly for even suggesting he hadn’t considered the captain, “In fact, had the circumstances been different, he would have been the face of the Blue Falcons. We know you like your privacy so even if you were popular, we never planned to make you do this. But of course, that was before the issue about you erupted _everywhere_. Now, everybody knows who you are, even the people who are not interested in volleyball. We won the championship last season but we’re still a new team, and as it stands, you’re currently its most well-known member. For better or for worse. We didn’t plan it but that’s how things happened and we just have to make do. Currently, _you_ are the face of the Blue Falcons. Your image is our image and, unfortunately, not everyone loves you right now. We have to work on that first before we can even get around to your teammates – and trust me, we will. Eventually. We’re not going to let Kida’s good looks go to waste, that’s prime product endorsement potential, right there.”

Kageyama’s mind was scrambling with the new information. If he took a moment to ignore the childish part of him that refused to believe that any of this was real, he could understand the reasoning behind the management’s plans. He wasn’t completely naïve. He understood how professional sports worked and knew that the ‘business’ side was indispensable, he just never imagined that a day would come when he would be at its mercy.

“I really don’t want to do this,” Kageyama said. He wasn’t one for defeatist attitudes but he just knew he was going to suck at this whole PR thing. The people who made this decision were going to regret it. “I’m not cut out for this kind of thing. I’m an _athlete_. I play volleyball. That’s what I do. Not attending social events or shooting commercials or posing for magazines.”

“On the contrary, you _have_ appeared in a magazine. You did that interview with Sports Monthly, which by the way, came out great. The pictures were amazing.”

“That was different. That was… a favor.”

“For your former teammate, I know. But still, what does that tell us? That you can do it if you put your mind to it.” That almost sounded convincing. Manager Sasaki was _scary_. “Come on, do it for everyone. Do it for President Murata. You owe him a lot, don’t you? Think of this as a chance to return the favor.”

Kageyama could not believe his ears. Name-dropping the president of the Blue Falcons and reminding him of how much he owed the man? Wow. Manager Sasaki was playing straight up _dirty_. “That’s low,” Kageyama said, “You know I can’t refuse if you say that.”

Manager Sasaki shrugged. “I do what I have to do. Let’s face it, you have no choice. Just do it. It’s not like a couple months of publicity is going to kill you. Sato will assist you in everything. Right, Sato?”

“Well, that’s part of my job.” Sato shot a sympathetic look at Kageyama. “I know you’re not happy about this but after hearing Manager Sasaki’s explanation, I see why this makes sense. It’s just a couple months. I promise I’ll do everything to make it as convenient for you as possible.”

Kageyama looked at Sato like he had just been betrayed. “You’re right, I’m very unhappy,” he said, sounding as resigned as he felt, “I never signed up for any of this, _but_ I’ll do it because I owe the team that much. I’ll only do it until the start of the next season, though. After that, you have to leave me alone.”

Manager Sasaki paused to think. “Hm… okay, I think we can work with that. By then we’d have established Kida as the ‘official’ face of the team so we can let you off the hook.”

“So, that’s a deal?”

“Yes, Kageyama, we have a deal.”

#

The waitress was watching him. She probably thought she was being discreet but Kageyama could tell.

People liked to say that he was oblivious to his surroundings – and maybe he was, sometimes – but since he started gaining popularity as a pro athlete, Kageyama had developed a keen sense for people watching him from the corner of their eyes. For people who were paying a little too much attention to whatever it was he was doing, instead of just going about their own business and leaving him be.

This waitress was definitely doing that. She was making a good show of innocently mopping the floor a few paces away, but Kageyama could feel her eyes on him and he was getting more and more annoyed by the second.

Kageyama felt a finger poke his forehead, right in the middle of his eyebrows.

“You keep scowling like that and you’re going to scare the other customers,” Tsukishima said.

Kageyama swatted Tsukishima’s hand away. “I’m not scowling.”

“Uh huh. Of course, you’re not.” Tsukishima leaned back in his chair. “What’s gotten you so angry?”

“I’m not–” Kageyama began to say, but was cut short by Tsukishima giving him a look that said, ‘who are you trying to fool?’ and he relented with a sigh. “Not angry. Just very annoyed.”

“And that’s because…?”

“That waitress right there keeps on looking at me.”

Tsukishima raised an eyebrow and grinned. “His Majesty doesn’t like being the center of attention, does he?”

Kageyama knew that Tsukishima was teasing (like always) but he couldn’t help the displeased expression that crept onto his face.

It must have been quite the face, though, because Tsukishima burst out laughing at the sight of it, both hands clutching at his stomach for support.

“Nothing’s funny,” Kageyama said in a deadpan voice.

Tsukishima was still wiping away the little drops of tears that escaped his eyes but he stopped laughing, at least. He leaned in, closer to the table, and poked at the center of Kageyama’s forehead again. “Stop scowling. Your face is scary,” he said with a fond smile that chipped away at the last of Kageyama’s resistance, “And don’t mind the waitress. She could get a little too… _enthusiastic_ , but ultimately, she means no harm. Besides, I made her cry once, so she probably wouldn’t approach us carelessly.”

_Made her cry?_ Kageyama wanted to know the story behind that, but Tsukishima seemed eager to move onto another subject.

“Anyway, what were you saying before you got distracted? Something about a campaign…?”

“A publicity campaign,” Kageyama answered, “Our team manager is making me do it.”

“I thought you hated doing that sort of thing? How did they get you to agree?”

“He said I should do it for everyone on the team, and he reminded me just how much I owe our president.”

“…Oh. Then I guess you really have no choice but to do it. President Murata _is_ the reason you’re even still playing volleyball now.”

Kageyama carefully watched Tsukishima’s expression. These days, Tsukishima no longer hesitated or got silent whenever talk of Kageyama’s past injury or any reference to it arose in their conversations, but Kageyama figured he could never be too cautious. For all he knew, this might still be a touchy subject and Tsukishima was simply putting up a mask.

Satisfied that Tsukishima wasn’t about to spiral into some guilty funk, Kageyama carried on. “I know. I just hate that he used it against me like that. I feel wronged.”

“Yes, but I can’t say I blame him. He knew your weakness and used it to get what he wanted. If I were in his place I would’ve done the same.” Tsukishima paused as though he was recounting a memory. “Come to think of it, I _have_ done the same thing. Do you remember how I convinced you to do the interview with our magazine?”

Kageyama _did_ remember. In fact, his memory of that day, when he received his first phone call from Tsukishima in six years, was so vivid that he could recite the names of all the objects he had in the room around him back then. “Yeah, I do. You used my teammates to convince me but – before you say anything – that was different.”

“How was that any different? I used my knowledge of your personality to manipulate your response.”

Kageyama scoffed. “I’m not as simple-minded as you like to think. I knew exactly what you were trying to do. Don’t think too highly of yourself.”

“If you knew then why did you agree?” Tsukishima looked mildly offended and Kageyama had to fight hard not to laugh. “You had refused all interview requests before that.”

Kageyama grew pensive. Immediately after Tsukishima left Miyagi six years ago, he had been scrambling all over the place to get a hold of the guy. He knew that Tsukishima was in Tokyo, but Tokyo was a big enough city that searching for someone was already a daunting task, let alone searching for someone who didn’t want to be found.

Day in and day out, he had pestered Yamaguchi for information on Tsukishima’s whereabouts – to the point that Yamaguchi almost developed an aversion to picking up his calls (Hinata told him as much). The only reason he even stopped was that he had to leave for France for his rehabilitation, and even there most of his thoughts were about how he could re-establish connection with Tsukishima once he got back.

“When I thought about it, I realized it was finally my chance to speak to you again. I’ve spent years trying to reach you and the one moment _you_ reach out to _me_ , I’m going to refuse? I realized that was stupid, so I said yes. Even if you called me because of your job, that was good enough for me. It was still a chance to talk to you again.”

This was the first time Kageyama said any of this out loud and he was surprised at how easily the words fell from his lips, however, he never imagined that it would be surprising enough to stun Tsukishima into silence. “What’s wrong? Did I break you or something?” he asked jokingly when the silence got a little too long for comfort.

“…Yeah, _something_ ,” Tsukishima answered after a while. His voice sounded strained and he wouldn’t meet Kageyama’s eyes.

Kageyama frowned. “Is this a guilt funk?”

That, at least, got Tsukishima to look in Kageyama’s direction. “A what now?”

“Guilt funk. You know, when you remember what happened in the past and then you get all moody on me. To be fair, you haven’t had one of those in a long while but with you sometimes I just can’t tell.”

Tsukishima had the nerve to look at Kageyama as though he thought _Kageyama_ was the one being ridiculous. “ _What_ are you talking about?”

“Like I said, it happens when–”

“I understood that part. What I mean is, why would you bring that up now? I told you I’m over that. I’m not having a… _guilt funk_ – which is a stupid name, by the way.”

“Then what was that awkward pause back there?”

“Nothing. You’re reading too much into things. I’m not having a guilt funk or whatever stupid name you want to call it. Can we move onto something else please?”

Kageyama still wasn’t convinced. Tsukishima was far from meek but, occasionally, there were moments when he would get all shifty and would refuse to meet Kageyama’s eyes. It happened quite a lot back when they first reunited and since then, Kageyama had taken it to mean that the topic of conversation was making Tsukishima uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, that was as far as Kageyama got in deciphering this quirk of Tsukishima’s. Even though he could tell now if Tsukishima was uncomfortable talking about something, he could never figure out _why_. He wasn’t that good at reading Tsukishima yet.

After a few seconds of consideration, Kageyama decided to drop his questioning. Tsukishima was acting suspicious but he had an inkling that it was about something else and not a guilt funk like he suspected, which was all that mattered to him at the moment.

Taking Kageyama’s prolonged silence as a cue, Tsukishima took it upon himself to steer the conversation elsewhere. “You have to do this publicity campaign and you have to train for the upcoming season on top of that. I guess you’ll be very busy in the next couple months, huh?”

Kageyama felt dejected at the reminder. The waitress’ unwanted attention and his worries about Tsukishima falling into a funk had derailed his thoughts, but now he remembered why he asked to meet Tsukishima today in the first place.

Being the champions of the most recent season, the Falcons were pretty well-known among volleyball fans, particularly in their home metropolis of Tokyo. However, compared to other teams, the Falcons still had a long way to go in terms of establishing a loyal fan base that spans the entire country. Even on their home turf, they still had to compete for fans with another team, the aptly named FC Tokyo.

“Yeah, it might take some time before we can meet again like this. Apparently, we don’t have enough fans outside Tokyo, so Sato will drag me across the country on a press tour,” Kageyama said, “I’m leaving for Hiroshima on Monday and won’t be back for at least a month.”

A look of consideration passed Tsukishima’s face, before being replaced by understanding. “Ah… Hiroshima City, home to the JT Thunders,” he said, as though it explained anything.

Surprisingly enough, it did.

When the country-wide press tour was decided, Manager Sasaki had the ‘brilliant idea’ (his words, not Kageyama’s) to pay special attention to the home cities and prefectures of other teams in the league. This meant that no matter how plans with the press tour changed, there were at least four destinations outside of Tokyo that Kageyama _definitely_ had to visit: Hiroshima, Osaka, Aichi, and Shizuoka.

“Going into the territories of your rivals, huh? Bold move,” Tsukishima continued after having deduced the Falcons’ press tour strategy, “Fans in home cities tend to be more loyal than most but, well… your team probably thought of that and prepared something already.”

“Yeah, Manager Sasaki is the type to overthink things.” _Kind of like you_ , Kageyama didn’t add. He didn’t want another argument today, especially with what he was about to say next. “Since I’ll be away for some time, I was thinking maybe…” he trailed off. This was the first time he was going to ask something like this and he had thought about how he was going to say it. Had _practiced_ for it, even. But, as he was realizing at the moment, the real thing was a lot more nerve-wracking than talking to himself in the mirror. “Maybe we could… Uhm, this weekend before I leave for Hiroshima… let’s go on a trip to Hakone?”

The normally unflappable Tsukishima actually looked surprised for a moment, before wrestling back control of his bearings and assuming a neutral expression. “Hakone? You want to go to the hot springs?”

“I figured I need to recharge before going on that tour and well…” Kageyama scratched the back of his neck. “I’ll be gone for some time so I wanted to uh… spend time together?”

Kageyama could almost swear that Tsukishima looked embarrassed for a moment, but the expression disappeared before he could confirm it and gave way to a look of suspicion.

“This isn’t some trick to convince me to have sex with you while soaking in a hot spring, is it? Because I’m not going to have sex–”

Blood rushed towards Kageyama’s face. He couldn’t see his reflection but he was pretty sure he was redder than a cherry tomato and Tsukishima was _still speaking._

“–in a public bath where anyone could walk in and–”

“Idiot, stop talking!” Kageyama reached over the table and plastered his hand over Tsukishima’s mouth. “The people around us will hear!”

Tsukishima forced Kageyama’s hand away from his mouth. “You’re attracting more attention with your reaction. Nobody heard me.”

“Even so, don’t talk about that stuff here.”

“Fine. I’d hate to offend the sensibilities of His Majesty,” Tsukishima said with a smirk. Kageyama awarded him a glare for his troubles. “But I see you’re not denying it. Did I guess right?”

“ _No_ , you did not.” Kageyama’s glaring intensified. So much for not wanting an argument. How could he possibly avoid one when Tsukishima enjoyed being difficult and contrary for no reason at all? Kageyama found the bickering cute most of the time but when he was being serious – _like right now_ – it was just downright annoying. “I just wanted to spend time with you since I’ll be gone for a while but if you’re not interested then fine. See you next month.”

To that, Tsukishima fucking _laughed_. What an asshole.

“You’re an asshole. I hope you know that.”

“Oh, I do,” Tsukishima said far too cheerfully, like that was exactly what he was going for, “You only tell me every time we see each other.”

“Because you always give me a reason to.” Kageyama had half a mind to stand up and leave Tsukishima, but that would mean accepting his defeat so he stood his ground.

For the third time that day, Kageyama felt a finger poke the middle of his forehead.

“Stop scowling already,” Tsukishima said, his voice fond, “I was kidding, okay? I’m sorry. Let’s go to Hakone. Should I pick you up on Saturday? How does 8 a.m. sound?”

Kageyama was tempted to say that the invitation had already expired, to tell Tsukishima to go screw himself and how dare he patronize Kageyama like that, but the affectionate tone with which Tsukishima spoke, not to mention his expression – partly amused but mostly endeared, and fit his face as though the look was specially made for him – knocked the wind out of Kageyama’s sails.

Damn it all, Kageyama was weak for this man. The realization was mortifying.

“No need to pick me up. I’ll spend Friday night at yours.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing Tsukishima and Kageyama in a relationship while trying to keep them as true to their characters as possible is a PAIN. I never plan for them to fight, but whenever I write a scene with them together, Tsukishima likes to be an asshole and Kageyama takes the bait and they always end up arguing. I always have to forcefully take back control and be like, 'NO, you're supposed to have a sweet moment, not a fist fight!'
> 
> But, anyway... so you have a Hakone trip to look forward to next chapter. Let's see how that unfolds. Are they still going to fight? Who knows? (Who am I kidding, this is Tsukki and Kags, of course they will).
> 
> EDIT: [yamineftis](http://yamineftis.tumblr.com/) / [gabiarts](http://gabiarts.tumblr.com) drew some really amazing, gorgeous art of this fic and I am over the moon. [check them out here because they are BEAUTIFUL](http://gabiarts.tumblr.com/post/164944169754/i-told-sometime-ago-to-the-amazing).


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't yet, please check out [yamineftis'](http://yamineftis.tumblr.com/) / [gabiarts'](http://gabiarts.tumblr.com/) really really gorgeous art of this fic [here](http://gabiarts.tumblr.com/post/164944169754/i-told-sometime-ago-to-the-amazing). seriously. they are amazing.

_Sato had really outdone herself this time,_ Kageyama thought the moment he and Tsukishima arrived at their ryokan. He had wanted this weekend to be special but, if he was being honest, beyond the idea that he wanted them to stay at a traditional inn, he didn’t have the faintest clue what else to look for. At the end of his wits, he had asked Sato for assistance and, embarrassing as it was to admit, he had been rather unhelpful in the search that followed. It ended up with Sato doing all of the work, with little to no contribution from him – except for the money used to book the place.

Kageyama did provide some input but it hardly counted, in his opinion.

To narrow down her search, Sato had asked if he had any specific requirements but Kageyama would be the first to admit that he had not been very forthcoming with details. To be fair, he gave her an honest answer but, as it turned out, his answer wasn’t acceptable. He had said that a hot spring bath, a room, and a futon to sleep in were the barest of his requirements and Sato had looked at him as though he had personally offended her.

“You’re traveling with someone, right?” Sato had asked Kageyama then, “You know I don’t like prying into your personal life but am I right to assume that this is a romantic weekend getaway of some sort?” She paused to look for Kageyama’s confirmation and when he nodded, her eyes narrowed in careful assessment. “Okay,” she said after a beat. The familiar glint in her eyes told Kageyama that she had just decided on a plan of action and was itching to get it started. “Okay. I get it. You just sit tight. I am going to take care of everything.”

And _take care of everything_ , she had.

Kageyama and Tsukishima went into the small traditional style house that served as the ryokan’s arrival lobby. After checking in at the reception desk, they were led outside through the sliding doors at the back that, Kageyama was surprised to learn, opened into a beautiful outdoor garden. It was the tail end of the rainy season so the plants weren’t as lush as they would have been in the spring but Kageyama thought there was still a certain charm to it.

The attendant guiding them said that although the garden didn’t have a proper name, the staff liked to refer to it as the Hidden Garden because, according to surprised patrons, from outside the ryokan, there was no sign that the garden even existed. The garden had several branching pathways lined with flowering shrubs and its perimeter was surrounded by trees, shielding the garden from prying eyes and secluding it from the outside world. Standing there, Kageyama almost forgot that they were still in the middle of a busy town that welcomed tourists all year round.

Following the attendant down one of the pathways, Kageyama and Tsukishima found themselves in front of another traditional house, only this one was slightly bigger than the arrival lobby and had what seemed to be an enclosed backyard with walls made out of bamboo stalks. The stalks were just high enough that Kageyama could not see what was in the backyard, save for a single plum tree whose crown extended above the bamboo wall.

The attendant turned to them with a smile. “Welcome to the Ume Villa,” she said as she handed a card key to Kageyama, “The villa has one living room, one bathroom, one bedroom, and a balcony overlooking a private open-air stone bath. Your luggage has already been carried inside. Complimentary water and tea are also provided. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner consists of traditional dishes and will be delivered according to the schedule you had specified upon booking. We pride ourselves on our unobtrusiveness and discretion and outside of that schedule, our staff will keep themselves scarce unless you require otherwise. The villa has been prepared according to your specific requests but please feel free to call the front desk if anything is not to your liking.”

Kageyama had no idea what these ‘specific requests’ were since Sato had been responsible for their booking but, if he knew Sato, he would guess that these requests were only meant to make their stay more pleasant, so he took the offered card key and said a mere ‘thank you’ in response.

“We hope you enjoy your stay,” the attendant said before leaving Kageyama and Tsukishima on their own.

“So, a _private_ bath, huh?” Tsukishima asked once they were alone.

Kageyama would have been inclined to think that it was an innocent question but Tsukishima’s look of sheer judgment told him otherwise. He was assaulted with the memory of Tsukishima chiding him about planning this trip as a way to get them to have sex in a hot spring – and Tsukishima’s immediate refusal because of the ‘public’ aspect of it.

“It’s not what you think,” Kageyama denied in the face of Tsukishima’s implicit accusation, “I didn’t even know there was a private bath. Sato booked this place.”

A strange expression passed Tsukishima’s face. Kageyama couldn’t quite decipher if it was surprise or disappointment. “Ah, that explains it,” Tsukishima said, “I was starting to get freaked out by how perfect and organized everything was and how this level of attention to something that didn’t involve volleyball was very unlike you. Knowing that Sato actually arranged everything settles my nerves.”

Kageyama didn’t quite know what to make of that. On the one hand, Tsukishima had just announced that he liked the place, however, he did so in a very roundabout manner that simultaneously insulted Kageyama’s alleged inability to plan a decent holiday.

“I’m glad you like the place,” Kageyama settled with saying, “and I’m going to ignore the other stuff you said because we just arrived and I don’t want to argue before we even enter the villa.” He felt triumphant when he received a perplexed look from Tsukishima. It seemed like Tsukishima didn’t expect him to take the high road and not to rise to the bait. “Come on let’s go inside,” he said, not looking behind him but knowing that Tsukishima would follow anyway.

#

 _‘A balcony overlooking a private open-air stone bath’_ already sounded very luxurious when said aloud, but it was even more impressive to see in real life.

Kageyama was currently standing on the said balcony and the sight in front of him rendered him speechless. When the attendant had said ‘stone bath,’ he had expected to see something more geometric and artificial-looking – perhaps a rectangular bath made out of evened out stones that were just big enough for two adults to have a bit of leg room. This was a private bath, after all, and in Kageyama’s experience, the more extravagantly designed baths were usually the ones that were open for public use. When he walked towards the balcony, he certainly did not expect to see what looked like a small chunk of a _river_ that someone somehow managed to take and then relocate there.

The bath itself was oddly-shaped and big enough to hold an entire family, let alone two people. Its edges were marked by small boulders and, upon closer inspection, Kageyama saw that its bottom was not a leveled floor like he had been expecting but was, instead, covered with small circular stones, the smooth ones that could be usually found at the bottom of a river. The bath was surrounded by small lanterns meant to illuminate the area at night, and in one corner was the big plum tree he had spied from outside, which provided a natural canopy during the day.

Excited about the beautiful bath, Kageyama headed for the bedroom with the intention to drag Tsukishima out. “You have _got_ to see the outdoor bath,” he called out before he even stepped into the room, but he stopped in his tracks the moment he did enter. What he saw waiting for him there was, arguably, a far bigger surprise than the lavish private bath outside.

On the bright side, though, at least now he knew what the attendant meant by ‘specific requests.’

Scattered on top of the laid out futon (which was big enough for two people, Kageyama noted with interest) were red rose petals, arranged in a nice heart-shaped pattern that framed a bouquet of similarly red roses sitting smack dab in the middle.

Great, Kageyama thought. Yet another ripe opportunity for Tsukishima to tease him.

“I take it this was Sato’s idea too?” Tsukishima asked. Surprisingly, he didn’t look like he was going to make fun of Kageyama. If anything, he looked _uncomfortable_. He didn’t wait for Kageyama’s answer though and barreled on with another question. “Would you say any of the ryokan’s staff recognized you?”

The unrelated tangent Tsukishima’s question went to caught Kageyama unawares. “Uhm, no? I don’t think so. Why?” There was that one girl at the front desk that gave him a good long stare but, in the end, it didn’t seem like she realized who he was.

“Nothing. Just a thought. Since Sato was the one who arranged everything and all that.” Tsukishima waved his hand in dismissal. “What were you saying about the outdoor bath?”

It was surprising that Tsukishima didn’t leap at the first chance to tease him about the roses (regardless of whether he was the one who prepared it or not), but Kageyama wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Instead, he filed Tsukishima’s weird response away in that part of his mind he reserved for such occasions and welcomed the change in topic.

“Come, I’ll show you.” Kageyama reached for Tsukishima’s wrist and pulled him out of the room and towards the balcony. Tsukishima followed without protest. “It’s amazing, isn’t it?”

The sight of the beautiful outdoor bath must have worked because the weird, uncomfortable air around Tsukishima disappeared. “It is,” he said with a smile, “Makes me want to jump right in.”

“Then why don’t you? That’s what we came here for.”

Tsukishima shook his head. “Not yet. I want to take photos of Ashi Lake at sunset. Maybe Fuji-san will even show itself.”

Kageyama was taken aback. “I didn’t know you had other plans,” he said, trying not to sound upset but failing. What was the point of going on a trip together, anyway, if Tsukishima was just going to go off on his own? “So, I guess I’ll just soak here. Alone.”

“You’re not coming with me to Ashi Lake?” Tsukishima spoke as though Kageyama had suggested something preposterous. Kageyama found that reaction rather unfair.

“Am I allowed to?”

“ _Of course._ Why would I go alone when you’re right here? That’s stupid. Why did we even go to Hakone together if we’re just going to go off by ourselves?”

Kageyama could not believe those words. He had no way to confirm but his heart felt like it just swelled to twice its size. That was probably not very healthy but what the hell, right? He grabbed the sides of Tsukishima’s face and leaned in for a long, languid kiss.

Tsukishima was almost out of breath when they broke apart. “Not that I’m complaining, but what was that for?”

“Nothing,” Kageyama replied with a grin that was far too big. He was sure he looked silly but he didn’t care. “So, Ashi Lake, right?”

# 

Back when they were both being stupid about the fiasco six years ago, Kageyama had a passing thought that because of his injury, Tsukishima was forced to leave volleyball and settle for finding some second-rate career. Obviously, volleyball was the best thing to ever happen to mankind so Kageyama had been hard-pressed to imagine that something like _photography_ could ever measure up to and be enough replacement for it.

Watching Tsukishima now, however, Kageyama was realizing that those had been very misguided assumptions on his part. Reluctant as he was to admit, it seemed like Tsukishima loved photography just as much as volleyball.

The evidence was right before Kageyama’s eyes – the last time he saw Tsukishima this excited, it had been after the latter succeeded in killing one of Ushijima’s monster spikes.

They were at the dock of Moto-Hakone, overlooking Ashi Lake, and Tsukishima was almost jittery, buzzing with unbridled energy that would have been missed by random onlookers but, to Kageyama, was as noticeable as a flashing neon sign.

 _I guess he really wanted to go here_ , was Kageyama’s unbidden thought.

“Are you just going to stand there?” Tsukishima called out, “The view from my spot is better.”

Kageyama understood the unspoken invitation and walked over to where Tsukishima was standing, where he was met with the sight of Ashi Lake stretching out into the horizon, and an unobscured view of Mt. Fuji in the distance, creeping into sight as the clouds moved away.

“You’re right,” he said, turning to Tsukishima, “This _is_ a better view.”

“I have a good eye. Photographer, remember?” Tsukishima said with no great deal of humility.

Kageyama had an urge to roll his eyes but decided against it. He could let Tsukishima have this one. “Well, Mr. Photographer, aren’t you going to start taking photos? That’s what we came here for, right?”

“Let’s wait a bit longer.” Tsukishima checked the watch on his wrist. “I’m waiting for the blue hour.”

Blue hour. Right. Kageyama had no idea what that was. “What’s a blue hour?”

Tsukishima looked at Kageyama as though the latter was being deliberately obtuse and then let out a long-suffering sigh. “You know that point during sunset,” Tsukishima began to explain, “when you can no longer see the sun but there’s still a bit of light left so the sky takes on this beautiful shade of blue, with hints of yellow and orange?”

Not that Kageyama paid much attention to it but, yes, he knew what Tsukishima was talking about. In his mind, though, he only ever referred to it as ‘sunset’ and none of this ‘blue hour’ business. “Blue hour, huh? Is that a photographer thing?”

“Not strictly. It’s a _‘thing’_ among photographers because light is crucial in our line of work, but it’s not limited to us. I imagine artists would also take note of it.”

Kageyama couldn’t say all of that made sense, but he did understand that being able to take photos of Ashi Lake during this ‘blue hour’ was very important to Tsukishima. That idea, at the very least, Kageyama could get behind. “You really like photography, huh?”

“Yes, I do. I’ve told you before that I like my job, didn’t I? Did you forget or is it just hard to believe because it’s not as flashy as professional volleyball?”

“That’s not what I meant.” Kageyama had thought the same thing before but now he had seen the error of his ways. “I was just surprised because you don’t usually show this much enthusiasm for anything. The fact that you’re even _saying_ you like it – coming from you that’s practically a declaration of undying love.”

A bout of silence followed Kageyama’s words. Instead of responding, Tsukishima started setting up his photography equipment.

Kageyama didn’t appreciate being ignored in the middle of a conversation and was about to give Tsukishima a piece of his mind but he was beaten to the punch.

“I’m allowed to like things,” Tsukishima said, sounding a bit defensive but calm, “and I’m allowed to have emotions even stronger than that. Just because I’m very good at repressing them doesn’t mean I don’t have them. Teenaged me was just too cool to admit to any of it.”

That was a curveball if Kageyama had ever seen one. He had always thought of Tsukishima as an introspective kind of guy and wasn’t all too surprised to learn that Tsukishima was this self-aware, but what he did find surprising was that Tsukishima felt comfortable enough to share all of that with him. It felt as though he had just taken a step towards a place he had never gone to. It was both scary and exciting.

Kageyama had an urge to reach for Tsukishima’s hand and so he did.

Tsukishima startled at the contact. “There’s a lot of people around us,” came the reprimand.

“I don’t care.” Kageyama squeezed Tsukishima’s hand. Hard enough to let Tsukishima know he meant what he said but not hard enough to hurt.

“I do. I’m not fond of PDA. In all its forms.” Tsukishima sounded snappy but it was belied by how gently he extricated his hand from Kageyama’s. “Blue hour is almost upon us, anyway. I need to finish setting up.”

Kageyama didn’t bother hiding his displeasure. Blue hour this, blue hour that. He couldn’t believe he lost to _photography_. “You owe me for this. Don’t you dare forget.”

Tsukishima turned to Kageyama with a mischievous smile. “Yes, Your Majesty. I’ll be sure to make it up to you.”

#

The ride back to the ryokan was a pleasant and peaceful affair. There really was something to be said about scenic natural views and their healing effect on the mind. Kageyama felt calm and refreshed, and even Tsukishima was far from being his usual snarky self.

They didn’t speak much on the way back and even when they reached their villa, they both went straight to preparing for a bath without consulting one another. They had a tacit understanding of one another’s intentions and within minutes, they were both ready to get in the hot spring.

A drawn-out moan escaped Kageyama’s lips as he submerged his body into the water. “This feels great. Nothing like soaking in a hot spring after a long day.”

Tsukishima followed into the water and took the spot next to Kageyama. They were sitting close enough that their knees were touching. “I’m not going to argue with that,” he said. He had his eyes closed and he looked blissful. “Your agent picked a great place. You should be a good employer and bring something back for her.”

“She’s way ahead of you. She gave me a list of things she wanted me to buy.”

Tsukishima chuckled. “She knows how to deal with you. Good for her.”

“You say that like I’m some troublesome child.”

“Aren’t you?” Tsukishima’s eyes were open now and he was side-eyeing Kageyama.

 Kageyama leaned to his right so his head was resting on Tsukishima’s left shoulder. “Can you not start a fight for once? We’re here to _relax_.”

“Ah… it still kind of freaks me out when you act all level-headed. Whatever happened to the hothead Kageyama who snapped at every little thing, I wonder?”

“He grew up.” Now, it was Kageyama’s turn to close his eyes and immerse himself in the blissful feeling of warm water lapping at his skin. “He got an almost permanent injury and gained a new perspective on life.”

“Hm, I see…” Under the water, Tsukishima reached for Kageyama’s hand and intertwined their fingers. “Hey, Kageyama… if the operation on your knee failed and you never regained the ability to play again, what would you have done?” Tsukishima’s voice was calm when he asked.

Kageyama’s eyes snapped open in surprise. That question came from left field and was something he never thought Tsukishima would ask. “Honestly, I have no idea,” he said after a while, “President Murata’s offer to pay for my operation and rehab came at the point where I was getting hopeless. The treatment was still experimental then and if it hadn’t worked I honestly don’t know what I would have done. At that time, I didn’t want to consider even the possibility that it would fail. It was my last chance.”

The fear Kageyama felt at that time was so great he could hardly put it into words. Even when his doctor said that there was no chance of recovery, he held onto some hope that he would find a way to get better. The experimental treatment was the lucky break he had been waiting for for years and he didn’t dare consider that it would fail. That would cement the fact that he would never _ever_ play again and the thought of it was terrifying.

As though he had clued in on Kageyama’s whirling thoughts, Tsukishima squeezed Kageyama’s hand, mirroring what Kageyama had done earlier when they were at Ashi Lake. The gesture felt grounding. A reassurance. ‘Everything is fine now,’ it seemed to say.

“I’m glad it all worked out,” Tsukishima said.

Kageyama couldn’t agree more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've read part one, you already know that while sex is mentioned in the story, I don't actually include explicit scenes. Same thing goes for this sequel.
> 
> The first three chapters were basically me laying the groundwork and (if things go to plan) next chapter, the plot will finally set into motion. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.


	4. Chapter 4

“Move a little to the left, please. There – just a little – yes, exactly. Now, if you could turn your head a bit to the side. There, perfect!”

Consecutive flashes went off in Kageyama’s face and it was only through sheer willpower that he was able to stop himself from glaring at the photographer. The last time his control over his facial expression slipped, the photographer had told him that if he was going to make a face like that anyway, then they should no longer bother with the shoot because that face did nothing to erase the ‘delinquent’ reputation that still lingered around him even after clearing the issues about his past – which was the whole point of having the photo shoot, in the first place.

 _“We’re building a more approachable, family-friendly image for you. Please keep that in mind,”_ the photographer had said. To which Kageyama replied that he didn’t actually care what people thought of him but, at that point, Sato put her foot down and reminded him that this was an order from Blue Falcons management so _‘Tough luck, champ. Suck it up.’_

Kageyama had been too startled by Sato speaking to him like that and he was unable to respond, and thirty minutes later, here he was, doing the photographer’s bidding like some obedient performing monkey. He hated the whole thing. Before the controversy, the Falcons management didn’t mind that he avoided publicity like the plague and basically lived like a recluse, but after the damage to his and the Falcons’ reputation, Kageyama no longer had that luxury.

But of course, just because he understood the reason for this PR campaign and agreed to it didn’t mean that he had to act like he was happy about it.

When the photographer allowed him to take a fifteen-minute break, Kageyama walked over to where Sato was sitting off to the side, watching the proceedings like a dutiful chaperone. “I thought when you said press tour, you only meant press tour. Why do we need to have this photo shoot now?”

“We’re being efficient with our scheduling of activities,” Sato replied, “We’re staying in Osaka the longest because there are three teams from the league here. We’re trying to maximize our time, hence, we’re having the photo shoot here instead of going back to Tokyo only to return to Osaka afterward. It’s a studio shoot, anyway, so the location isn’t really that big of a deal.”

“I feel ridiculous doing this. How much longer is this going to take?”

Sato checked the watch on her wrist. “Only 30 minutes left. President Murata is flying in from Tokyo today and he wants to have lunch with you. His secretary said he wants to introduce you to someone.” She paused, worry now etched on her face. “I talked to you about it last week, don’t tell me you forgot…?”

Kageyama vaguely remembered something like that happening, but apparently, it hadn’t registered to him that the lunch Sato had been talking about was lunch with the _owner of the Blue Falcons_ or that said lunch was scheduled for _today_.

“Sorry, it slipped my mind,” Kageyama said sheepishly, before the rest of what Sato told him settled in, “Wait, he’s introducing me to someone? It’s not someone incredibly important, is it?”

“I don’t really know. His secretary didn’t tell me and I didn’t think it was my place to ask.” Probably sensing Kageyama’s worry, Sato offered him a reassuring look. “Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll do fine.”

Kageyama pursed his lips. He would really prefer to eat his lunch without the constant fear of accidentally saying the wrong thing in front of someone very important hanging over his head.

“I hope so.”

#

President Murata, despite being a multi-billionaire, was a rather simple guy. He enjoyed the occasional ostentatious display of wealth as was expected from someone of his status – reveled in it, even – but, for the most part, he was a pretty down-to-earth guy who hadn’t lost his appreciation for the simple things in life.

Kageyama had interacted enough with the man to know this. In fact, the previous times the president had invited him out to lunch had been very casual, laid-back affairs, as though they were simply two old friends catching up (they were, in a way, but that didn’t change the fact that President Murata was Kageyama’s billionaire employer).

Given this prior knowledge, Kageyama had deduced that today’s lunch with the president was going to be very _very_ different from what he was used to the moment Sato pushed him into the dressing room, tailored suit in hand and babbling about strict dress codes. Coupled with the previously acquired information that the president was going to introduce him to someone, Kageyama came to the conclusion that today’s affairs was more of a Very Important Meeting with a Very Important Person, rather than simply having lunch.

In hindsight, maybe Kageyama should have known. He was, after all, in the middle of an important PR campaign in Osaka and it was unthinkable that a busy CEO, whose time was worth more than he could ever afford, would fly in from Tokyo for _lunch_ just to enjoy his company.

President Murata favored Kageyama but not _that_ much.

“Where are we having lunch again?” Kageyama asked Sato as he adjusted his tie. Sato, with the efficacy that he had come to both fear and admire, came prepared with a perfectly fitting suit for him. The thought that Sato knew his exact measurements to have had the suit prepared in advance was slightly disturbing though ( _scarily efficient,_ his mind supplied), and he figured he should have a discussion with Sato about that sometime in the future.

“At the Bay Tower, in a restaurant called Mukozuke.”

Mukozuke, a Michelin three-star restaurant well known for its exquisite seafood dishes. Very reputed that even Kageyama recognized the name, a further testament to the fact that this meeting was of utmost importance to President Murata.

 _Maybe a big name businessman,_ Kageyama thought, _or maybe a politician? A potential sponsor?_

A pat on the back shook Kageyama away from his thoughts. “Stop overthinking. You’re going to be fine. Now, let’s have a look at you.” Sato made Kageyama turn so he was facing her. She eyed his appearance from head to toe and nodded with approval. “Yup, you look great. The resting bitch face could use some work but some people would argue that that’s your charm.”

Kageyama wasn’t quite sure but that sounded like a compliment. “…Uh, thanks?”

“You’re welcome, champ.” Sato ushered Kageyama towards the door. “The driver will take you to the restaurant. He’s waiting for you outside. Good luck! Have fun!”

Kageyama still had his doubts about this meeting but he could hardly show that in the face of Sato’s bright-eyed encouragement. “I’ll try. Thanks,” he said before disappearing outside.

#

The restaurant was on the 51st floor and an attendant met Kageyama the moment he stepped out of the elevator. He was guided into the restaurant and his first thought upon entering was _too many damn windows_. Two adjacent walls were entirely made up of floor-to-ceiling windows, offering an almost panoramic view of the city skyline. It was high noon so it was a little too bright for Kageyama’s liking, but he could only imagine how spectacular the view would be before dusk, with the blue-orange sky serving as backdrop to thousands of city lights blinking into existence.

The ‘blue hour,’ Tsukishima had called it when they were in Hakone. At the time, most of the jargon had gone past Kageyama’s head but, his take away from that conversation was that the blue hour looked really pretty in pictures.

 _Tsukishima would probably like this place,_ Kageyama thought, making a mental note to visit this place with Tsukishima once the campaign was over. Preferably around sunset.

Caught in his rumination, Kageyama missed it when the attendant motioned towards a table near one of the windows. It was only when the attendant spoke that Kageyama’s attention was roused.

“President Murata is seated this way, please follow me.”

Kageyama followed behind the attendant and soon enough, he was face to face with the man who paved the way towards his return to volleyball. He bowed in greeting just as the attendant left. “Good afternoon, President Murata.”

President Murata stood up and clapped Kageyama’s shoulder. “None of that stiffness, Kageyama. Take a seat.”

“Thank you,” Kageyama said as he took the seat opposite the president. The president seemed to be alone. “…uh, how was your flight?”

“It was fine. Great, even. You know, I’ve been told before that owning a private jet is a little too extravagant so I put off buying one for a _long_ time but, here’s the thing, I now realize that it actually makes flying so much more convenient.”

Kageyama had a somewhat unclear recollection of that piece of gossip breaking out a month ago among the Falcons team members and staff. So it was true. The president did buy a private jet. That was cool, he supposed. He didn’t really have a frame of reference because he had neither owned nor had been aboard a private jet before.

“It’s a great investment, then?”

“You bet it is. Although, even if it isn’t I would have pretended that it is just to spite the naysayers,” President Murata said with a mischievous grin, “Then again, this isn’t the first time someone tried to talk me out of what they thought was a bad call. Remember when I first wanted to form the Falcons? Everyone thought it was a huge risk but look where we are now. Defending champions and it’s only been our first appearance in the league.”

With a grudge, Kageyama thought that even if they were defending champions, their current reputation still left a lot to be desired. Wasn’t that the reason why he was prancing all over the country, making nice with the press and smiling for the cameras? He didn’t dare voice out any of that, though. This was his _boss_ , for crying out loud.

“…Yeah, the team really worked hard in the league last season,” was all that Kageyama could muster the effort to say.

President Murata studied Kageyama’s face, looking like he was trying to find something there. He smiled when he seemed to have found it. “You don’t need to pretend with me, kid. Why don’t you tell me what’s on your mind?”

That invitation sounded very tempting, indeed, but Kageyama still had doubts about taking it. He owed this man his entire professional career and he didn’t want to sound like he was complaining (even if he really wanted to).

President Murata sighed. “I told you before I want you to treat more like a big brother rather than your boss but I get that it’s probably awkward for you.” He sounded disappointed. “It’s alright if you don’t want to say anything. I already heard from Manager Sasaki. Actually, part of the reason I wanted to meet you today was to check on how you’re holding up. I know you don’t like what you’re being made to do but, at the very least, I hope they’re not making it hard or inconvenient.”

There went Kageyama’s attempt to keep his dissatisfaction to himself. He wasn’t sure whether he should be thankful or mortified at the thought of Manager Sasaki reporting all his complaints to the president but there was no use keeping silent now. Might as well come clean. “Sato has been very helpful. She’s taking care of the hard stuff. All I’ve had to do is show up and be nice to people.”

Sato had given Kageyama those orders in those exact words. _‘I’ll take care of everything. Just show up and be nice, please,’_ she had said. After one too many instances of him almost telling nosy reporters to go screw themselves, Sato had drilled him on the concept of thinking twice about whatever he was going to say. They had also developed a system where, whenever anyone said something rude to him or asked him an inappropriate question, he would just smile knowingly and let Sato handle it in that polite, passive-aggressive way of hers. It was a marvel to watch every time. Sato, in all her five feet four-inch glory, taking down rude reporters and putting them in their place. It was almost as satisfying as if Kageyama had done it himself.

“Ah, Sato. I remember her. I’m glad to know you’re in the care of someone very capable.” President Murata clapped his hands together. “But that’s enough shop talk. That’s not the only reason I called you out here. There’s someone I would like you to meet.” He grinned at Kageyama. The kind that suggested he knew something Kageyama didn’t. Kageyama wasn’t going to deny that it was disconcerting. One of President Murata’s infamous quirks was his tendency to pull pranks on unsuspecting people. They were mostly harmless but regardless of that, absolutely _no one_ enjoyed being the subject of pranks. Kageyama included.

The president looked excited as he spoke, “The flight got a bit delayed but I got a call just before you arrived, they should be here by–” he was cut off when something caught his eye from behind Kageyama. “–oh, never mind.”

Sitting with his back to the entrance, Kageyama couldn’t see what the president was looking at, but judging from the sound of footsteps approaching their table, he could guess that the person they were waiting for – the person he was supposed to be introduced to – had just arrived.

Because it was the polite thing to do, Kageyama stood up to greet the newcomer.

Kageyama turned around and was met with, quite possibly, the most imposing woman he had ever laid eyes on. She wasn’t what he would describe as beautiful. Her face, though pleasant, was rather plain – on anyone else, it would be considered forgettable. Not with this woman, though. With her, no one would dwell on that inconsequential detail because the effortless grace with which she carried herself, the dignified gait, overshadowed everything else. This was the kind of woman who commanded everyone’s attention the moment she entered a room.

At that point, President Murata also stood up from his seat. He turned to Kageyama with a big smile on his face. Kageyama thought he looked like a proud father walking his daughter down the aisle. It was a weird mental image that Kageyama had no explanation for.

“Kageyama, I would like you to meet my sister, Himeko.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two updates in one month? What?
> 
> Kidding aside though, September is special because it's Tsukki's birth month (also mine, our birthdays are 3 days apart :P) so, double update.
> 
> P.S. Yes, the sister literally has 'Princess' in her name. I know it's kinda cringey, but that's a deliberate choice on my part and not an unfortunate coincidence.


	5. Chapter 5

Murata Himeko was the younger sister of TG Motors CEO and Blue Falcons owner, Murata Hisashi. She was the same age as Kageyama and she had just returned to Japan a couple years ago after earning her MBA in the US. She was currently serving as the Director of Public Relations of the TG Group.

Kageyama did not ask for any of this information, but he learned it all anyway because it seemed to be part of President Murata’s standard introductory spiel for his ‘little sister.’

“Nice to meet you, Director Murata,” Kageyama said after the introductions were done. That should be good enough. He didn’t think the president was expecting him to match the introduction for Director Murata and offer a three-sentence summary of his entire life up to this point.

“Call me Himeko, please,” Director Murata said, her words cold and succinct. It sounded more like an order to Kageyama’s ears. “Formal titles make me feel old. Let’s reserve those for my brother.”

Kageyama wasn’t too keen on the idea of referring to one of the directors of the company and sister of his boss by first name, but he also didn’t want to offend her by refusing to do so. He looked to President Murata for guidance on what he should do and was treated to an eager expression that seemed to say, _‘Yes, that’s a great idea. Go ahead, do it!’_

“Okay, Himeko,” Kageyama said, albeit with great reluctance. He sure hoped Miss Murata didn’t expect him to return the favor and ask her to call him by his first name. Thankfully, Himeko simply gave him a curt nod and didn’t say anything else.

With that wordless acknowledgment putting the matters of first names to rest, Kageyama resumed his former seat while President Murata moved to the side, leaving Himeko to take the seat opposite Kageyama’s.

“I was under the impression that lunch was just between us two,” Himeko said to her brother as she sat down. The tone with which she spoke made her displeasure at Kageyama’s presence clear.

Kageyama was torn between feeling offended at being treated with such distaste and being shocked that anyone would speak to TG Group’s president in such an insolent tone. To his great surprise, though, President Murata brushed it off like he had been expecting it and, horror of horrors, even seemed to find it endearing.

“I wanted to catch up with my favorite player and it was just as well that Kageyama was in town. I didn’t think you’d mind,” President Murata answered. He looked at his sister and then at Kageyama before his face erupted into an almost manic grin. “Besides, I wanted to introduce my two favorite people to one another. Is that so bad?”

“I suppose not, but a heads up would have been nice,” was Himeko’s unamused reply. She met Kageyama’s eyes. “You’re in town for the press tour, right? That should be keeping you busy. I’m surprised you even have time to have lunch with my brother.”

It sounded very much like an accusation (of what, Kageyama didn’t know) and it made Kageyama sure of one thing – his presence was not welcome here, and it didn’t take a genius to figure it out when Himeko was waving it around like a banner.

Before Kageyama could sputter out a half-assed response, President Murata took it upon himself to answer. “Himeko, be nice. I was the one who invited him and I didn’t give him the option to refuse.”

“Is that so? I’m sorry then,” Himeko said to Kageyama while looking anything but, “I was out of line.”

“It’s alright. I don’t mind.” Kageyama supposed it was a bit irritating to be treated with such outright contempt by someone he just met but, for the most part, he didn’t particularly care whether or not this woman wanted him to be here. It was the president who invited him and that was what mattered. Although given how Himeko seemed to be going out of her way to make him feel as uncomfortable as she could, he was extra careful in minding his temper – it probably wouldn’t serve him well to snap at President Murata’s younger sister _in front of President Murata_.

Ignoring Kageyama’s response, Himeko turned back to her brother. “Is food going to be served soon? I just flew in from Amsterdam and I’m starving.” She spoke in a petulant tone but Kageyama could make out a slight hint of playfulness. This woman was, apparently, capable of friendly sibling banter.

President Murata smiled at his sister, shook his head with a fond expression on his face, and gave a signal to one of the waiters. “There, Your Royal Highness,” he answered in the same playful tone, “They’re going to serve our food now.”

Kageyama tried to keep his face impassive, even as he watched the exchange with keen interest.

President Murata was pretty laid-back but even then, most people liked to be very formal and respectful around him. Seeing him interact with his younger sister like this was… _enlightening_ , to say the least. Kageyama supposed sibling relationships were the same across all walks of life – even among very wealthy people. The thought was oddly comforting.

Watching the look of endearment and pride on President Murata’s face, Kageyama could only conclude that the man must really care for his sister.

#

Kageyama didn’t have high hopes, what with the cold reception he received from Himeko earlier, but the actual conversation during lunch was less awkward than he had worried it would be. Although, much of that was probably due to the president’s presence serving as a buffer between him and Himeko. There was a chance that it was merely his imagination, but Kageyama felt like there was a deliberate attempt to make him speak a whole lot more than usual.

When Kageyama had lunch with President Murata in the past, the president had been content to keep most of the conversation with only the barest of acknowledgment from him. The occasional grunts or one-word answers to show that he was listening had been enough then. Today, however, the president was taking every opportunity to stir the conversation in such a way that Kageyama would have to join in. It didn’t take much to notice. President Murata was being very unsubtle about the whole thing and worse, Himeko was being dragged along with it.

“I first saw Kageyama play when his high school volleyball team made it to nationals. It was a match against their long-standing rivals,” President Murata said to his sister, “Have I told you about that?”

“Yes, you have. At least fifty times, I think. I even remember the final score. You want me to tell you?” With the way she spoke, it seemed like Himeko found the topic about as compelling as a non-existent smudge of dirt on the floor and was simply humoring her brother’s enthusiasm.

“No need, I’m sure we all remember. Especially Kageyama.” President Murata turned to the man in question. “What was the name of your rival team again?” he asked.

“Nekoma.”

“Ah, right. That’s why people called it Battle at the Garbage Dump.”

“Excuse me, they called it what?” Himeko sounded scandalized. “That’s so classless. Why in the world would they call it that? Were they trying to insult the teams?”

President Murata knew the reason and could have very well answered Himeko’s questions, but he chose to stay silent and instead looked at Kageyama.

Kageyama took the hint. The president wanted him to answer, and so he did using as few words as possible. “They were Nekoma and we were Karasuno. Cats and crows.”

Himeko nodded in understanding. “Hmm, I guess that makes sense. Animal motifs are popular among sports teams, after all.” She paused, lost in thought. When she resumed talking, she listed off a couple of names that were familiar to Kageyama. “Suntory Sunbirds, Panasonic Panthers, and TG Blue Falcons. Three teams in the pro scene that have animal motifs. Five, if you count the ones in the women’s division – Okayama Seagulls and PFU Blue Cats.”

“There’s two more. The men’s JTEKT Stings have a bee on their logo and the women’s Hitachi Rivales have a rabbit,” Kageyama corrected. No matter how disagreeable he found a person to be, when it came to matters of volleyball, he could not allow anyone to live in ignorance. He then remembered the Osaka Blazers and added, “The Blazers too. They have a lizard on their logo.”

Himeko looked at Kageyama with disdain. “I concede the first two but I refuse to accept that the fire-breathing lizard thing on the Blazers logo is a real animal. Mythical creatures don’t count.”

Kageyama shrugged. He didn’t care enough about the mascots of the other teams to get into a heated debate on whether the Blazers lizard was an actual lizard or a mythical creature of some kind. As far as he was concerned, there was only one fire-breathing creature in the Osaka Blazers team and it was a setter named Oikawa Tooru.

President Murata watched the exchange between Kageyama and Himeko with a pleased expression on his face. “You’re familiar with the other teams in the league, aren’t you, Himeko?” he asked, “Have you heard of Hinata Shouyou?”

Kageyama’s ears perked at the mention of his former teammate.

“Suntory Sunbirds Middle Blocker. Small guy, impressive vertical leap. Lacking in raw strength but makes up for it with intelligent decision-making during ‘on-air’ battles. Despite his small stature, he’s considered to be one of the scoring powerhouses in the league,” Himeko recited in a mechanical manner.

“You know a lot…” Kageyama noted with thinly veiled interest.

“I’m only repeating what I’ve heard. Our scouts have tried getting him to join our team but he refused no matter how we raised our offer. He said he owed the Sunbirds for giving him a chance when no other pro team would and our scouts had to back down.”

Kageyama couldn’t help but snort. “He’s like that. Backing down was the best decision your scouts could have made. They would never have been able to convince him.”

“You know him?”

“We played for Karasuno together.”

“They’re former _partners_ ,” President Murata added, “Hinata Shouyou was the first spiker to hit Kageyama’s insanely fast quick attack. No one had been able to hit it before him, not even Kageyama’s teammates from middle school.”

“The scouts didn’t tell me about Hinata Shouyou’s high school team. I feel like there’s a deeper story behind all this.”

Yes, there was, and it was a very personal story about Kageyama’s growth as a person and as a volleyball player and he wasn’t about to share it with Himeko like it was neighborhood gossip. The president knew snippets of it and that was bad enough. Kageyama had no inclination to reveal the entire thing. “Not really. It’s not as exciting as the president seems to think,” he said.

Himeko raised an eyebrow at Kageyama. She seemed to doubt the truth of Kageyama’s words but decided not to push it. “I guess so. My brother does have a tendency to get a little… _overzealous_ , sometimes.” She gave President Murata a knowing look. “Isn’t that right, Brother?”

“ _Some people_ might think that, but what you call _overzealous_ , I call _optimistic_ ,” President Murata replied, “It’s all a matter of perspective.”

Himeko grimaced. “It’s better to exercise caution,” she countered, “Blind optimism is dangerous.”

“And sometimes, my dear little sister, we just have to trust our instincts and our own judgment.” President Murata smiled at his sister. It was the indulgent kind usually given to a naive little child who did not understand how the world worked.

Kageyama looked back and forth between the Murata siblings. The discussion they were having was off-tangent and it was obvious that there was a different conversation going on between the two – one that was unrelated to his reluctance to share his volleyball history and completely lost on him. He felt as though he was intruding on something that was supposed to be discussed in private.

Himeko’s posture stiffened and she looked at her brother with fire in her eyes. This was different from the playful glare earlier when she was asking for food, Kageyama could tell. “Your judgment has proven to be wrong before,” she spat the words out, “How many times do I have to tell you that–” Himeko’s gaze caught Kageyama. She seemed to have forgotten that he was there, but now that she remembered, she forced herself to calm down. “We shouldn’t have this conversation here. My apologies, Kageyama.” To Kageyama’s surprise, Himeko actually sounded like she meant the apology this time.

“It’s okay,” Kageyama said because, really, what was he supposed to say now? Lunch just took a nosedive into even more awkward territory. If he had only known it was going to be like this, he would have begged Sato to come up with an excuse for him so he wouldn’t have had to show up.

#

The atmosphere did not get any better after the heated exchange between the Murata siblings, and Kageyama was very thankful when lunch finally ended.

Their lunch meeting was only two hours long but at the end of it, Kageyama felt as though he had been sitting there forever. He was glad that the sour turn during lunch did not happen through any fault of his, and although some part of him was curious about what made Himeko angry, he reminded himself that it wasn’t any of his business. All families had issues and he had no right to poke his nose in it, so he would take his curiosity as a natural human response but stop short of indulging it.

If there was anything about lunch that Kageyama was disappointed about, though, it was that they had eaten in a three Michelin-starred restaurant but he felt like he hadn’t even tasted the food due to the chilling atmosphere around them.

All the more reason for him to return to that restaurant with Tsukishima, then.

_Ah, that reminds me_ , Kageyama thought, _I hadn’t talked to Tsukishima in a while._

Perhaps Kageyama should have expected it but Tsukishima was notoriously bad at keeping in touch. They could go on for weeks without communicating if Kageyama didn’t decide to call first, and if he ever mentioned it, Tsukishima would only play the ‘I was busy’ card.

After hearing the same reason for who knew how many times, Kageyama decided not to talk about it anymore because okay, fine, he understood. They were no longer carefree teenagers. They were both adults with adult responsibilities that required time and attention. The question of who called first shouldn’t be a big deal – especially if the other person was always available to take the call, anyway. Though sometimes, in his rare moments of weakness, Kageyama couldn’t help but think that Tsukishima didn’t even miss his presence enough to be bothered to make a call first, but he would always shoo the thought away as quickly as it came. It was best not to dwell on thoughts like that.

Kageyama slouched on the sofa in his hotel room, debating whether he should call Tsukishima now or wait until later when Tsukishima was out of work. He had the rest of the day to himself so either way would work for him, it was simply a matter of which time best suited Tsukishima’s schedule.

_Perhaps later, then,_ Kageyama decided. This was one of the rare days during this press tour where he had time to himself, and with the next V League season right around the corner, he should make the most of this day and get in some training first. He wouldn’t be able to carry out his usual training regimen but he could at least do a couple of rounds in the hotel gym – after he had done a bit of running, of course.

Kageyama changed into his training clothes and sent a quick text to Sato, _‘out running, be back in a bit,’_ before he stepped out of his room and into the hallway.

#

Three blocks into his run, Kageyama was stopped in his tracks by the ringing of his phone. He hadn’t even had the chance to greet the person on the other end when he was met with a question.

“Where are you?” Sato asked.

“I’m out running. I sent you a message, didn’t I?” Kageyama frowned (not that Sato could see). Didn’t he have the rest of the day to himself? Why was Sato asking for his whereabouts now?

“I know that. What I want to know is your exact location.”

Now that Kageyama listened closely, he realized that Sato sounded hurried. He wondered what the issue was now. “Three blocks from the hotel.” He looked around for a nearby landmark. “I’m near a, uh, park with a basketball court. It’s beside a bakery called Kaoru’s Oven.”

“Okay, don’t move from where you are. I’m in the car right now. I’m on my way to pick you up.”

“What? Why?” Kageyama dreaded the answer that was to come. He was convinced that Sato was going to drag him off somewhere again and he didn’t like it. Whatever happened to him having no schedules after lunch with the president?

“There’s going to be a gala tomorrow night, in celebration of the opening of TG Motors’ Osaka factory. You’re going to attend,” Sato said in a tone that left no room for disagreement, “I just received a call from the president’s secretary and President Murata wants you to escort his sister to the event.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> October has been such a whirlwind for me and I've been taking what little "free" time I have to write. No kidding, half of this chapter was written while I was waiting at the dentist and the other half while I was at the salon.
> 
> To be honest, I'm not that satisfied with how this turned out but I really wanted to update now because I'm leaving for an overseas trip tomorrow and I don't know when I could update next so, yeah...
> 
> P.S. What do you think about Himeko?


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know you all miss Tsukki. Kageyama does too. But wait a little longer. Kageyama's still trotting all over the country.

A thousand thoughts whizzed by Kageyama’s brain in quick succession as Sato explained what was going to happen. Only half of it registered though because he was still stuck on _‘you’re going to attend the gala’_ and _‘you’re going to escort the president’s sister’_ and both thoughts were horrifying enough without adding the rest of what Sato was saying.

“Hey, Kageyama… Kageyama? Kageyama!” Sato shook Kageyama’s shoulders, “Snap out of whatever meltdown you’re having and listen to me.” Only when she was assured that she had Kageyama’s undivided attention did Sato continue. “We’re on our way to Miss Himeko because she wants to talk to you about the gala.”

“I don’t want to attend. You know I hate that kind of stuff.” It wasn’t a great secret that Kageyama made every effort to avoid highbrow social events. He hated the idea of being surrounded by all sorts of strangers while being forced to flash fake smiles at everyone and make nice and do whatever other socializing was expected from someone attending such events.

“I told you, _president’s orders_. Besides, this is a great help to the team. Think of all the potential sponsors you could meet there. That was probably the president’s intention when he said you should come – and he probably asked you to be his sister’s escort as some sort of power move. The president’s sister having you on her arm is basically an announcement to everyone that you’re an important guest and not just some random guy.”

Kageyama couldn’t care less. He didn’t like to concern himself with the power struggles of rich people, and he was even less enthused now that he was being dragged into it against every fiber of his being. “His sister doesn’t even like me!” He blurted out. Himeko made her distaste for him very obvious during lunch, there was no way the president missed it. “I don’t know why the president thought this was a good idea.”

This time, Sato put her foot down. “I’m sure he has his reasons. Either way, you’re going to meet with Miss Himeko whether you like it or not.”

“Wait, I thought _we_ are going to meet her?”

“Oh no, no, no…” Sato laughed at Kageyama as though he was being silly, “I can’t babysit you today. I’ve other matters to attend to. I’m just going to drop you off to make sure you’re not going to run away like you did during the team’s championship party.”

In Kageyama’s defense, he didn’t run away that time. He had merely slipped away and gone home without telling anyone – and he only did it because he had been spending the better part of the evening dodging reporters from left and right and he had been _exhausted_.

Unfortunately, the car rolled to a stop before he could defend himself from Sato’s accusation.

“We’re here,” Sato said, “Miss Himeko’s already waiting for you inside so you better get going.”

Kageyama looked out the window and saw that the car was parked in front of a tailor shop. Now, Kageyama was the type of person who preferred to wear training clothes most of the time, but having spent years around people like Murata Hisashi, Manager Sasaki, and the ever capable Sato (who seemed to have made it her personal mission to make sure he was always dressed appropriately for important occasions), even he had developed a grudging acceptance that sometimes, one _absolutely_ had to wear a fine suit. Apparently, this was one of those times.

With a heavy heart, Kageyama stepped out of the car and walked to the front of the shop.

The shop looked unassuming enough from the outside, but it still gave off a palpable air of quiet sophistication. Timeless and elegant. It went by the name of Tino and Sons, etched in cursive lettering onto the store’s glass-to-ceiling windows that took up about two-thirds of the store’s façade. Behind the glass windows stood a single mannequin wearing an immaculate white and gold three-piece suit with a long-tailed coat that, given Kageyama’s limited knowledge on the art of dressing like a fine gentleman, told him that this was no ordinary tailor shop.

Kageyama walked up the two steps leading to the shop’s entrance and pushed the heavy oak door open.

The jingling of the tiny bell above said door announced his entrance.

“Welcome to Tino and Sons, how may I help you?” Greeted the woman minding the counter at the far right corner of the room.

“Hi, I’m Kageyama. I’m supposed to meet Murata Himeko?” Kageyama hadn’t intended to but it came out as a question. He was a bit out of his element here.

Recognition flashed across the woman’s face. “Oh, come in! We’re expecting you.” The woman guided Kageyama to a door on the left, which opened into what appeared to be a waiting room, complete with a set of plush leather couches and an ornate coffee table, on top of which sat a clear vase of white lilies. “Please, take a seat. Miss Himeko and Miss Rio will be with you shortly.”

# 

 _‘Shortly’_ was, of course, a relative term, and that day, Kageyama learned that there was an ocean-wide gap between his definition of the word ‘shortly’ and that of the woman’s. He had been given a cup of tea to tide him over as he waited but even the admittedly delicious tea wasn’t enough to make up for the long wait he had to endure.

Almost an hour had passed since he arrived before he was finally met with Himeko and the so-called Miss Rio. Although, ‘met’ was probably too generous of a term because what the two did was outright barge into the waiting room.

“So, you’re here,” Himeko said when she laid eyes on Kageyama. It was almost amazing, the way she could pack so much animosity into so few words. “I had hoped that you would find some excuse to refuse to attend.”

Despite not being the least amused with how he was being treated, Kageyama opted to answer as carefully as possible. He kept reminding himself that this was the sister of his boss. He stood up and faced Himeko. “The president asked and, well… it’s not like I could refuse. You probably know how he gets.”

Kageyama could swear he heard Himeko let out a snort. “Oh, _I know_. He’s incorrigible once he sets his mind on something. Why do you think I’m taking you with me in the first place?” She looked at Kageyama from head to toe and sneered. “That being said, if I’m going to be seen with you anyway, then you had better be presentable. Rio’s here to make sure of that.”

“…Aaaand, that’s my cue,” said the lady who walked in earlier with Himeko. Now that he was looking closely, Kageyama could tell that she had mixed heritage. She was tall – almost as tall as Kageyama and sported short, pixie hair – dyed in _pink_. “You’re Kageyama Tobio, right? I’m Watanabe Rio, owner of this store and the one who’s going to make your suit.” She exchanged bows with Kageyama before continuing. “I supposed you’re surprised that I’m a woman, given the name of the store, but trust me, I know what I’m doing. I learned from the best. I grew up watching my grandfather and father create stunning bespoke suits for generations of clients.”

Himeko groaned from where she now sat, cross-legged on the couch opposite Kageyama. “Ugh, you give that little speech every time you meet a first time client. That’s why I keep telling you to just change the store’s name.”

“No way! The name _Tino and Sons_ is part of the store’s legacy. It’s not my dad’s fault he only has one daughter and no sons to pass the store to. Besides, _Tino, Sons, and Daughters_ doesn’t quite roll off the tongue as easily.”

Himeko rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Do what you want. Anyway, if everyone’s done introducing themselves, can we get to work now, please? We don’t have a lot of time. The gala is _tomorrow_.”

Rio clapped her hands together in excitement. “Of course! Come on, brother and sister, follow me into the dressing room!” She stretched an arm out and pointed towards the general direction of _forward._

Kageyama felt cold sweat drop across his forehead. Just what had he gotten himself into this time?

#

In all honesty, all Kageyama ever wanted in life was to play volleyball, and he became a professional athlete because, unfortunately, people needed money to live and being a professional volleyball player was the perfect way to earn a living while doing the sport he loved.

The fame and the glamour and all the other glitzy extras that came with being a pro were never included in the list of things he wanted, but to his great detriment, life had a pretty annoying way of throwing those things right in his path anyway.

Kageyama had already spent the past several weeks strutting around like a peacock, shaking people’s hands, and smiling in front of cameras, but it seemed there was no end to his torture because now, he was forced to stand in the middle of a circular dais, while an overly enthusiastic lady fussed over him as though he were some fancy doll on display.

“I’m going to take your shoulder measurements now so kindly hold still for a bit,” Rio said as she manhandled Kageyama and stretched a roll of tape measure across his shoulders, “Oh, wow. I know you’re an athlete but, really, you’re very well-proportioned. Creating a suit for you is going to be _fuuuuuun_ ,” she said the last word in a high-pitched sing-song voice that grated on Kageyama’s ears.

“Rio, I appreciate that you’re taking this very seriously, but this suit is needed by tomorrow night,” Himeko interjected, “We’re rushing as it is. Don’t go overboard.”

Rio’s face fell. Kageyama would have felt bad for her if he hadn’t been on the verge of playing guinea pig to whatever ‘overboard’ plans she might have had.

“Why must you put restrictions on my _art_?” Rio sighed dramatically. “Must I truly live my life in shackles?”

Himeko waved way Rio’s dramatic antics as though she was used to it, while Kageyama tried hard to keep a straight face. Why did he always have the misfortune of coming across such strange people?

“I want something elegant,” Himeko said, “but not ostentatious.”

“Don’t I get a say in this?” Kageyama finally decided to join in the conversation. He was being made to do a lot of things against his will these days and he was determined to gain back some semblance of control in the few things where it was possible.

Himeko studied Kageyama for a while before assenting. “Fine, what did you have in mind,” she replied in monotone.

The image of the white suit on display flashed in Kageyama’s head. That was nice and elegant – and, most importantly, simple enough for his taste. “The suit on display. The white and gold one. Something like that. But one that doesn’t have that long tail.”

Rio’s eyes sparkled. “That’s my finest creation yet if I do say so myself. Although, it’s not my style to simply recreate that suit. I’ll make something _especially_ for you, but based on that one because you like it. Although, I’m a bit sad that you want to do away with the tailcoat. But that’s fine. You could rock a suit jacket just as well.”

Himeko started walking around, seemingly lost in thought. “Hm… not bad. I guess that could work,” she said after a while, “But not in those colors. Instead of white and gold make it royal blue and gray, with touches of white.”

Kageyama shrugged. He wasn’t too happy with making Himeko feel like she was getting her way, but he what was he supposed to do when he actually liked that color combination? Not to be vain but Tsukishima had said that the color blue brought out his eyes.

“Good choice. Those colors would look great on you.” Rio patted Kageyama on the back. “Don’t worry about a thing. You’re in good hands.”

Kageyama would have been reassured, if not for the manic grin on her face.

#

Kageyama had never thought that getting fitted for a suit would be such a taxing activity, but after what he had to go through at the hands of Himeko and Rio, he concluded that it was _terrible_. By the time he got back to the hotel, he felt mentally and physically drained, and the only reason he wasn’t already curled up, asleep on his very inviting hotel bed was that he had promised himself earlier that he was going to call Tsukishima.

As it turned out though, Tsukishima had the same idea because Kageyama’s phone started ringing before he could even pick up his phone to call.

“Hey, Tsukishima,” Kageyama greeted, sounding a little too excited. The call was a very pleasant surprise, his happiness was making itself apparent in his voice whether he liked it or not.

“Hey,” Tsukishima said from the other line, “are you back at your hotel?”

“Yeah, Sato dropped me off a little while ago. I’m dead tired.” Kageyama heard the unmistakable sound of clanging pans from Tsukishima’s end. “Wait, are you cooking right now?”

“It’s just fried rice. I tossed in a few of my leftovers.”

Kageyama checked the time. It was quarter past ten. “It’s pretty late for dinner. Did you just get back from work?”

“Yeah, Chief’s been running me ragged,” Tsukishima replied, and now that Kageyama was listening closely, he could hear the exhaustion in Tsukishima’s voice, “She starts by saying I’m her favorite employee and then proceeds to pile a ton of work on me. She’s also been partnering me up with Fujiwara a lot these days because she has it in her head that the two of us work well together. It’s annoying and I think she enjoys making me suffer.”

Kageyama could imagine the characteristic scowl on Tsukishima’s face as he said those things and laughed.

“Are you laughing at my misery?” Tsukishima asked with what Kageyama could tell was fake anger. “Mr. Big Shot Pro finds the plight of the common man amusing.”

Kageyama smiled to himself. It probably said a lot about his current circumstances but Tsukishima’s teasing was the first thing that felt familiar to him in weeks. “I didn’t say it, you did,” he teased back. It felt as comfortable as coming home.

“Oh, I see how it is. Tell me, Mr. Big Shot Pro, what have you been up to these days? Regale this common man with tales of your exciting life.”

The reminder about his ‘exciting’ life put a bit of a damper on Kageyama’s mood, but that was hardly Tsukishima’s fault so he tried not to let it show. At least, not too much. “You know, the usual. Going around doing interviews, meeting important people, making public appearances. I also did a couple of photo shoots. Basically, I’ve been doing a lot of things I hate.”

“Are you saying you don’t enjoy rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous? I would have thought – ack!” The sound of cutlery clanging to the floor reached Kageyama’s ears. Tsukishima’s end went silent for several minutes.

“Tsukishima? What happened?” Kageyama asked, trying to remain calm but mostly failing. Judging from the noise he heard and Tsukishima’s reaction, he assumed that some sort of kitchen accident had occurred. “Are you still there?”

“…Yeah, I’m here,” Tsukishima sounded harried when he spoke again, “A knife fell on my foot.” Before Kageyama could give way to worry, he quickly added, “It was the blunt end. Don’t panic.”

“I’m not panicking,” Kageyama lied, “I just thought your line cut off because you weren’t speaking for so long. Where did you go?”

“I was setting the table. Do you mind if I eat while I’m talking to you? Wait, what am I asking? Of course, you don’t. You have terrible table manners.”

Kageyama rolled his eyes (not that Tsukishima could see). “You really can’t help yourself, can you? And with such an unoriginal insult too. If you’re going to make fun of me at least do it with something you haven’t told me a million times in high school.”

Tsukishima snickered. “The opportunity was right there and I couldn’t let it pass. Don’t worry, I’ll come up with something new.”

“Can’t say I’m looking forward to it.”

“Liar. You know you like it.”

“Hmm…” Kageyama pretended to consider the idea, “…Uh, nope,” he said, popping the ‘p’ for emphasis, “I’m just letting it slide. Be thankful that I love you.”

…

…

A beat passed before Kageyama realized what he had said.

Shit. This was the first time _one of them_ had said something like that. Figured it would be him to say it – and unintentionally, at that.

“Hey, Tsukishima? You still there?” Kageyama asked, his tone hesitant. Tsukishima’s end was silent once more and Kageyama couldn’t help but worry. He wouldn’t put it past Tsukishima to be weird and stupid about this, and if his slip of the tongue ended up scaring Tsukishima away, he would be _so pissed_. At himself and at Tsukishima. But mostly, at himself.

“Tsukishima?” Kageyama tried again.

“…Yeah, I’m here,” came Tsukishima’s reply. Kageyama braced himself for what would follow, but nothing did. Tsukishima replied simply to assure Kageyama that he was still on the line and, as infuriating as it was, didn’t think it was necessary to say anything else.

Of all the responses Kageyama was expecting, he never imagined this one – Tsukishima brushing things off and pretending not to have heard anything. Kageyama couldn’t decide which was worse. Tsukishima getting scared and running away or Tsukishima pretending nothing happened.

Kageyama sighed, his exhaustion from running around the entire day catching up to him tenfold. He wasn’t capable of dealing with Tsukishima’s shit right now. He needed sleep – and maybe a drink or two. Not necessarily in that order.

“Hey, uh…” Kageyama began, “I think I really need to sleep now. I’m finally feeling just how tired I am and it is not a good feeling. At all.”

“Ah, is that so? That’s alright, we can talk next time.” Tsukishima almost sounded insecure. Or maybe that was just Kageyama’s worn-out brain imagining things.

“Good night, Tsukishima.”

Tsukishima went silent again and, really now, Kageyama was getting a lot of that tonight. Irritated, he was about to hang up when Tsukishima spoke again.

“Good night, Kageyama… Love you…”

Kageyama’s heart stopped. The last part was said so quietly he almost didn’t hear it but – but – he heard right, didn’t he?

“Tsukishima, what did you just say?”

Silence.

Kageyama groaned. When he checked his phone, he realized that this time, Tsukishima did hang up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Never say I never gave you anything...
> 
> JUST KIDDING. I LOVE YOU ALL.
> 
> See you next month. Probably.
> 
> (I wrote this on the plane. Please excuse any mistakes I missed. I'll come back to it later.)


	7. Chapter 7

Back when Sato had been a young girl, her grandfather always used to say that she was tough as nails and anyone would be hard-pressed to find anything that could give her a legitimate scare. Sato had always believed this to be true.

That was, until now.

For the first time in her 29 years on earth, Sato Ayaka found herself questioning her unwavering belief in her grandfather’s words because she was, quite frankly, getting scared out of her wits.

“Are you sure you’re fine?” Sato asked Kageyama again because she really could not believe that _nothing_ was wrong with her charge, given how weirdly out of character he had been acting since morning.

Kageyama had an appearance at an early morning show that day and Sato had woken him up at the crack of dawn to make sure they got ready on time. That much, at least, was something Sato had to do on a normal basis and if this were any normal day, Kageyama would have opened his door with a ferocious scowl on his face and bitched about having to get up so early for some stupid morning show.

Not today, though. Today, when Sato had rung the bell to Kageyama’s room, Kageyama opened it already showered and impeccably dressed and wearing a giant (almost goofy) smile on his face. Sato almost had to backtrack and check if she had the right room.

Kageyama had continued to act disturbingly cheerful all throughout breakfast and, by the time he and Sato both stepped inside the car to go to the shooting location, Sato was convinced she had stumbled into some weird alternate dimension.

Now sitting inside the car, Sato continued to watch Kageyama out of the corner of her eye. “If there’s anything wrong, if you feel the slightest bit unwell, you can tell me.”

“I told you, I’m perfectly fine.” Kageyama turned to Sato with the same wide, beaming smile he had been sporting all morning. Sato suppressed a shudder. She had seen Kageyama smile before but never quite like this. It was unnerving.

“Did you hit your head or something?” Sato was aware that her questions were now bordering on rude but she just _had_ to make sure.

“No, why would you think that?” Kageyama looked genuinely confused.

“Okaaay, but–” Sato caught herself. Somehow, asking ‘why are you so happy?’ seemed to be inappropriate. It wasn’t as if Kageyama wasn’t allowed to be happy. “Did something good happen last night?”

Sato didn’t think it was possible but Kageyama’s smile actually grew _wider_. “Yeah, you could say that.”

Studying the wistful expression on Kageyama’s face as he said those words, everything finally clicked into place. _Of course, why didn’t I think of it right away?_ Sato thought to herself, feeling a bit silly for not realizing sooner.

“I see. You talked to your girlfriend last night.” Sato said with a little smile. Man, Kageyama was so _whipped_ , even she could tell.

At that, Kageyama turned to Sato with a puzzled look on his face. “Girlfriend?”

“Oh, please. Did you forget that I booked your romantic getaway to Hakone?” Sato resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Who did Kageyama think she was? He may fancy himself to be Mr. Mysterious but Sato had been working with him for years. She had a handle on Kageyama’s personality and quirks and if anyone could tell that he was in a serious relationship, it would be her. Who was this silly little boy trying to fool? “Don’t even try to deny, Kageyama, I’m–”

“Who said anything about a _girlfriend_?”

Sato stopped mid-rant as she processed what Kageyama said. The way he said that – who said anything about a _girlfriend_? A _girlfriend_. Girl. Friend. Oh. _Oh._

“Oh dear, I’m sorry,” Sato said. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to smack herself or if she wanted the earth to open up and swallow her whole. Just because it never occurred to her that Kageyama may be interested in men didn’t mean it wasn’t a possibility. “It was wrong of me to assume.”

“It’s okay. You didn’t know.” Kageyama waved the apology away and, perhaps sensing the discomfort in the air, changed the subject with a deftness that made Sato proud. “So, where are we headed to again?”

“Nishikinohama Park,” Sato replied in a heartbeat, eager to put the awkwardness behind, “the morning show you’re appearing in has a segment that features places to visit within the community and they’re featuring the park today. You’re not expected to do anything drastic, don’t worry. You’re just going to be shown greeting the park’s visitors, maybe playing a game of catch with some kids. That kind of thing.”

“They’re not going to pry into my life, are they?”

The question didn’t surprise Sato at all. She was one of the people who knew best just how much Kageyama hated being asked questions about his private life and she considered it part of her duties to ensure that Kageyama’s privacy remained well preserved. “They’re going to ask you a few questions, but only about the team and how we’re preparing for the upcoming V League season. Nothing else. If they ask anything out of line, I’ll drag you away from there myself.”

“Thank you for always looking out for me,” Kageyama said in a way that told Sato he meant every word.

Sato was taken aback but made every effort not to let the surprise show on her face. Not that she didn’t appreciate the show of gratitude – she did, very much – but Kageyama wasn’t the most vocal of people and this was the first time he had said anything like that to her. Maybe it was because he was in such a great mood today. Either way, it wouldn’t do well for Sato to embarrass him by making such a big deal out of it. “No problem, champ. You and I are a team,” she said with a smile that could rival Kageyama’s own.

Today was going to be a good day, Sato could already tell.

# 

The shooting for the morning show went swimmingly, as far as Sato was concerned. The two hosts of the show were professional enough to stick to the questions they had agreed on beforehand and didn’t ask anything that would have caught Kageyama unawares. They steered clear of any reference to the massive landmine that was Kageyama’s delinquent scandal and made sure Kageyama was comfortable all throughout the shoot. Sato was very impressed with how the hosts handled everything, so much so that she was already composing the thank you messages she was going to send the hosts, along with deciding on suitable thank you gifts.

Once the shoot had properly wrapped up and cameras were no longer rolling, Sato walked over to Kageyama and gave him a slight nudge. “Congratulations! You did very well,” she said, before leaning closer to follow up with a whisper, “You probably want to get out of here right now but you should take time to greet the people who came out to see you and sign a few autographs.”

“That’s fine with me. I was planning on doing the same thing, anyway,” was Kageyama’s reply.

Sato did a double take, taking a few moments to process what she heard. As the day went by, it was becoming clearer that Kageyama’s good mood was a blessing from the heavens. “Well, since you seem eager to do it, you should probably sign more than just a _few_ autographs. It doesn’t hurt to make more people happy.”

Kageyama was about to say something but was cut-off when several people came swarming in to greet him. With practiced ease, Sato stepped away to give people room and take refuge from the thickening crowd. Normally, she would have politely, but firmly, asked the crowd to give Kageyama space, but she was doing none of that today. They were here to build goodwill among the people, after all.

Sato stood off to the side as she watched the crowd around Kageyama ask for autographs and for permission to take photos with him and to her delight, wonders never ceased – Kageyama agreed to each request with grace and generousness that had been heretofore unseen from him. Sato’s heart swelled with pride. How her silly little charge had grown.

Letting her eyes wander from the people surrounding Kageyama, Sato finally noticed the little figure standing just outside the semi-circle that the crowd made. It was a little boy who looked to be maybe four years old, clutching a small volleyball and trying to stand on his tiptoes, as though doing that would help him see past the 5-foot high wall of people blocking his view.

Taking pity, Sato walked over to the child. “Hey, kid, what do you have there?”

The boy seemed scared at first, but eventually decided that maybe Sato wasn’t a threat and replied, “It’s my ball.”

“Oh, that’s used in volleyball, right? Do you know how to play?”

The boy’s eyes sparkled at the mention of volleyball. “Yes!” He answered, his earlier fear of Sato already forgotten. “I love volleyball! I play at the community center every day after school and even on weekends!”

Sato was taken aback by the boy’s response. Not that there was anything wrong with it, she just hadn’t been expecting that level of communication from a four-year-old. An idea struck her. “Hey, kid, how old are you?”

The boy tucked the ball under his elbows and held his two hands in front of him, his fingers raised to signify the number seven. “I’m seven now. But I’ll be eight soon! And my name’s not kid, I’m Takeshi!”

“Sorry, my bad,” Sato said with a sheepish smile, “Nice to meet you, Takeshi. I’m Ayaka. You can call me Aya- _neesan_ if you like.”

Sufficiently placated, Takeshi returned Sato’s smile with one of his – albeit missing maybe one or two teeth. “Nice to meet you, Aya- _neesan_! Do you like volleyball too?”

“Yes, I do. In fact, I work a lot with volleyball players.” Sato segued into the reason why she approached the boy in the first place. “Do you know any volleyball players, Takeshi? Do you have a favorite player?”

As Sato expected, Takeshi stole a glance in Kageyama’s direction before turning back to her. “I like Kageyama Tobio a lot! He’s my favorite! They say he’s a genius setter and I watched all his games on TV and he was amazing and I want to be–” Takeshi paused to catch his breath, but when he spoke again, his voice lost its enthusiasm. He addressed the ground instead of Sato. “I want to be… I want to be like him when I grow up. I want to be a setter too, but the other kids say I can’t be a setter because I’m small.”

Sato was torn between feeling heartbroken for this child and wanting to hunt down the pesky kids who dared say those things to him. She took a deep breath before speaking. “Well, _I_ think those kids are wrong,” the boy looked up when Sato said that, “and I know someone else who would agree with me. Do you know who that person is?” Sato cupped a hand around her mouth and spoke in a low voice, “Kageyama Tobio.”

The boy frowned. He didn’t look convinced. “You don’t even know Kageyama Tobio.”

Sato raised an eyebrow, mostly for show. “Oh, really?” She looked at Kageyama and was pleased to see that the crowd had started thinning out. Kageyama was down to the last two people who wanted autographs signed. What perfect timing. When Kageyama finished signing the autographs, Sato waved at him and beckoned him to come over. Once Kageyama was standing behind Takeshi, she asked the boy, “If I don’t know Kageyama Tobio, then who’s that guy behind you?”

The boy turned around so fast Sato was surprised he didn’t give himself whiplash. She moved to Kageyama’s side so she could see Takeshi’s reaction. She wasn’t disappointed – Takeshi looked like he was ready to worship the ground Kageyama walked on. “Wow, I… I’m… you’re… _wow_ …”

“He’s a big fan,” Sato said to Kageyama before addressing Takeshi once again, “Come on, introduce yourself.”

“I’m! I’m – my name is Takeshi and you’re my favorite player! Nice to meet you!” Takeshi bowed respectfully towards Kageyama, he was so shocked he didn’t even realize that he dropped his ball and it rolled towards Kageyama’s feet.

Sato was fairly certain that while Kageyama had met enthusiastic fans before, he had never met one so young. She just hoped he would be able to handle it properly – he didn’t seem like the type who would be good with children. (Kageyama was bad enough with adults, how could anyone expect him to do any better with kids?)

“Ah, well… thanks. I’m Kageyama Tobio, nice to meet you too.” Kageyama picked up the ball and offered it to Takeshi. “You play volleyball?”

Takeshi took the proffered ball with utmost reverence. “Y-yes!”

“What position do you play?”

At the reminder, Takeshi quickly turned downcast. Kageyama looked at Sato, his eyes conveying a message Sato had become all too familiar with, _‘What did I do? HELP.’_

“Takeshi wants to be a setter just like you,” Sato spoke in a gentle voice, “but he’s worried that he’s too small.”

Kageyama snorted as though that was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard. “How old are you?”

“I’m seven,” Takeshi answered in a small voice.

“Seven. Okay, here’s the thing – you’re not going to be stuck like that forever. You’re still young, you have plenty of time to grow tall. Besides, even if you don’t get very tall when you grow up, that doesn’t mean you can’t be a setter.” Kageyama crouched down so he was talking to Takeshi at eye level. “One of my teammates in high school was small. Like a shrimp. But he played middle blocker and he defeated all of the tall guys who played against him. He’s a pro now, too, and he still plays middle blocker.”

Takeshi met Kageyama’s gaze, soaking every word in. Kageyama continued. “Height is important in volleyball, but it’s not everything. There are five other people on your side of the net. If you lack something, you have teammates who will help fill that weakness for you.” At that, Kageyama stood up and patted the boy’s head. “Continue working hard and you just might be a great setter someday,” he said before walking away.

# 

Sato couldn’t hide her smile when she followed Kageyama into the car. “I would scold you for forgetting to sign that little boy’s ball,” she began, “but you gave him something so much more valuable than that so I’ll rest my case.”

Kageyama merely scoffed in response. Out of the corner of her eye, Sato could see he was smiling too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been wanting to include a part where Kageyama interacts with a young fan since Chapter 5 but it never quite fit in properly in the previous chapters so I saved it for later. Now felt like a good time. This is a pretty self-indulgent chapter on my part but most fanfiction is self-indulgent anyway so... *shrugs*
> 
> It's written in Sato's perspective because the references to Kageyama's unusually cheerful mood needed an outsider's perspective and Sato is the most logical choice.
> 
> EDIT 20/12/2017: As I've mentioned, I've now deleted the temporary Chapter 8 a.k.a the prompt/request chapter. To those who sent in prompts, don't worry, I've taken note of everything. Hopefully, I'd get the ficlets posted before the holidays end (by which I mean from December 24th to January 1st since that's my time off).


	8. Chapter 8

There were three teams in the V League that called Osaka home, which meant that out of all the stops in Kageyama’s little tour, the stay in Osaka was the longest. Kageyama wasn’t happy about it on principle because a longer stay in Osaka meant a longer time away from Tokyo but, at the very least, he consoled himself with the knowledge that a longer stay in Osaka meant he had time to arrange a meeting with a certain someone.

It had been easy enough to convince Sato to let him have time to himself after he agreed that she could personally pick him up in the afternoon and take him to the tailor’s to get his suit for the gala.

“You better keep your word. We’re both dead if you don’t show up at the gala tonight,” Sato had warned Kageyama before sending him off on his merry way.

A few hours after parting with Sato, Kageyama found himself sitting in a restaurant, sipping iced tea while he waited for his companion.

It was only 11 am but the place was already lively. A few of the restaurant goers even recognized him and, while he had never bothered with stuff like fame and popularity, he figured the press tour must have been working if random people in _Osaka_ were easily recognizing him now.

The ringing of the bell above the door shook Kageyama from his thoughts. He looked up, almost on reflex, and wasn’t at all surprised when the sight that greeted him was a shock of bright hair.

The owner of said hair looked around, scanning the occupants of the restaurant before his eyes alighted on Kageyama. He raised his hands in a cheerful wave and approached Kageyama’s booth.

“Hey, Kageyama! What’s up?” Hinata greeted as he plopped down on the seat opposite Kageyama’s. A few of the restaurant patrons took note of Hinata’s arrival, took a second glance at Kageyama, and began whispering among themselves. Kageyama could only guess what they were whispering about but, frankly, he didn’t care all that much.

“Nothing much. Busy touring the country, I guess,” Kageyama said with a shrug, “I don’t like the whole ‘playing it up for the press’ thing but the traveling bit is okay. I get to visit a lot of places.”

“Have you been enjoying your stay here in Osaka?” was Hinata’s excited reply, “Which places have you visited already? Have you tried the takoyaki yet?

“I haven’t had much time to go sightseeing. President Murata had included some activities in my schedule and that’s been eating up my free time. It’s really troublesome but I’ve got no choice.”

Hinata’s face fell. “Well, that’s just heartbreaking. I mean, you can get takoyaki pretty much anywhere in the country but Osaka’s takoyaki is the ultimate best, hands down. You _absolutely_ cannot leave Osaka without trying it at least once.”

A familiar expression flashed across Hinata’s face. Kageyama recognized it as the one that liked to appear whenever Hinata had a questionable idea that Kageyama would no doubt go along with anyway.

Hinata leaned in and cupped a hand around his mouth. “You haven’t ordered anything from here yet, have you?” He asked in a quiet voice.

“Just this.” Kageyama pointed to his tall glass of iced tea. “Why?”

Hinata’s face brightened. “Great! Let’s go.” He got up from his seat and grabbed Kageyama’s arm. “Come on, get up!”

“Where are we going?” Kageyama asked even as he complied with Hinata’s request for him to stand up.

“We’re going to have takoyaki!” Hinata replied as he dragged Kageyama out of the restaurant and onto the busy streets of Osaka.

#

“Here we are!” Hinata announced when they arrived at their destination. They had walked a distance of about three blocks, during which Hinata dragged Kageyama through hidden pathways and alleys that messed with Kageyama’s sense of direction, before stopping in front of a small takoyaki stall located in a rather secluded part of the city. Kageyama was convinced they weren’t even in Osaka anymore.

Minding the stall was an old lady who exuded the same motherly aura possessed by old ladies everywhere. Kageyama wasn’t complaining. He had been away from his family for quite some time now and he could really use with some motherly aura being directed at him.

“Good afternoon, Fumie- _baachan_!” Hinata greeted the old lady, “I brought a friend with me today,” he said, gesturing to Kageyama.

Kageyama bowed in introduction and because he wasn’t as impolite as Tsukishima liked to believe, decided to forego Hinata’s choice of honorific. “My name is Kageyama. Nice to meet you, Fumie- _san_.”

“Thank you for that,” Fumie said with a beatific smile that warmed Kageyama’s entire being and made the three-block trek to this takoyaki stall worth it, “But you can call me _‘baa-chan’_ as Hinata does. I know I’ve earned it. One shouldn’t be embarrassed by old age when we all know that wisdom comes with it.”

“Fumie- _baachan_ makes the best takoyaki in all of Osaka,” Hinata announced with pride. With the way he spoke, one would think _he_ made the takoyaki himself. Behind the stall, Fumie merely shook her head, seemingly used to Hinata’s antics.

Kageyama busied himself with finding a place to sit while Hinata made quick work of ordering their food. He eventually settled on a nearby bench and, as soon as he sat down, Hinata came trudging in with a box of takoyaki in each hand.

“Fumie- _baachan_ gave a bigger serving than usual to commemorate your visit,” Hinata said as he sat beside Kageyama, “Although, if I’m going to be honest, she always gives me a bigger serving whenever I eat here. I’m her favorite customer.”

“Did she tell you that or did you just assume?”

“There’s no need for her to say it. I can tell.”

“I think she’s just nice to everyone.” Truth be told, Kageyama didn’t doubt Hinata’s words for a second, but he figured a little teasing never hurt anyone.

“Don’t be jealous because people like me more than you.”

“It’s probably because you look like a middle school kid. People tend to be nicer to children.”

Instead of pouting or acting offended (as Kageyama had been expecting), Hinata stared at Kageyama with a slack-jawed expression. “I think Tsukishima is rubbing off on you,” he said, “They say when people start dating, they start to resemble each other. I didn’t think I’d see it from you, though. Not to mention, the person you’re dating is Tsukishima.” A look of horror dawned on Hinata’s face like he was only realizing now what he had just said. “Oh my, you’re dating _Tsukishima_! I already knew it before today but it never really sunk in until now. Wow, this just made it _real_.”

Hinata always had the tendency to overreact to things but, even for him, this reaction was a little over the top. Was the idea of Kageyama and Tsukishima being together that ridiculous? “Yeah, so what?” Kageyama couldn’t help but go on the defensive.

“Hey, relax, I didn’t mean anything bad with that.” Hinata raised a placating hand. “I’m just in awe that after so many years, the two of you finally got there.”

_Finally?_ The word rang in Kageyama’s head.

“I noticed it back in second year – that you liked Tsukishima, I mean,” Hinata continued, “I never mentioned it to anyone but when we became third years your pining got so bad, I had no choice but to ask Yamaguchi for advice on what to do with you. Turns out, he had noticed it too.”

This was the first time Kageyama was hearing any of this. As far as he recalled, he didn’t like Tsukishima back in high school – and even if he did, he sure as hell wouldn’t have been pining so visibly that Hinata and Yamaguchi would have felt the need to meddle. “But I didn’t like Tsukishima in high school,” Kageyama said, “This is a fairly recent thing.” Looking back now, it probably started when Tsukishima called him for that Sports Monthly interview.

“Kageyama, you got injured because you were trying to protect Tsukishima, when we blamed him for your injury, you got so angry at us you even scared the captain, and when Tsukishima ran off to Tokyo and went on radio silence, you spent years trying to reach him. Believe me, this is not a recent thing.” It did make sense when Hinata put it like that. For all that he acted like an airhead most of the time, there were moments like these when he showed that he was wiser than most people gave him credit for.

Kageyama didn’t know what to say. He supposed he did care a lot about Tsukishima’s well-being back then but he hadn’t spent much time thinking about why he had cared so much. He had always been the type to act now and think later. More importantly, did it matter if his feelings for Tsukishima started in high school or during the interview? The feelings were there and they weren’t going away anytime soon – _that_ was what mattered.

Hinata studied Kageyama’s face before nodding to himself like he had figured something out. “Well, you’ve always been on the oblivious side. It took years but I’m glad you realized it eventually,” he said with finality as he reached over and patted Kageyama on the back, “You should start eating your takoyaki. It’s best eaten fresh off the pan.”

#

Hanging out with Hinata had been exactly the kind of breather Kageyama needed in the middle of his frenzied schedule. It was probably a poor comparison but when Sato had arrived to pick him up, he felt like a little kid whose playdate had been cut short without prior notice. He had felt twice as much reluctance to leave than he normally would have, especially after Sato’s heavy-handed reminder about the gala that Kageyama didn’t really want to go to and would have gladly skipped if not for the personal invitation from President Murata.

“Please stop sulking,” Sato said to Kageyama as she pretended to fix his tie. She kept her voice low because Rio was standing a few paces behind them, talking fervently on the phone, and she probably didn’t want to attract attention while she lectured her charge. “Weren’t you cheerful this morning? Try to channel some of that joy. Your face looks scary when you sulk and we don’t want to scare potential sponsors when you arrive at the gala.” She stepped back and took in Kageyama’s appearance.

Kageyama had long since changed into the suit Rio made for him and was feeling more like a doll on display than he ever had in his entire life. Going by Himeko’s instructions, the three-piece suit had a color combination of white, royal blue, and gray. He was made to wear royal blue pants and a white dress shirt underneath a gray vest and a gray tie with a royal blue clip. Topping it all off was a suit jacket in the same royal blue color as everything else.

“Look at you.” Sato gestured to Kageyama’s entire being. “I’m sure you can charm _anyone_ if you tried.”

“No, thanks,” was Kageyama’s curt reply.

Sato gave Kageyama a look that said she expected that. “I’m not asking you to turn into a social butterfly all of a sudden. Just try not to scowl so much while you’re there.”

Kageyama shrugged. He wasn’t about to make any promises he couldn’t keep.

Rio interrupted them before Sato could add anything else to her list of ‘gala reminders’ for Kageyama.

“Hey, I just got off the phone with Himeko. I already sent the gown to her this morning so she doesn’t need to come here. She’s going to get ready at the hotel and she wants you,” Rio pointed at Kageyama, “to pick her up and the two of you could head to the gala from there. She said it wouldn’t be proper if she and her supposed escort didn’t arrive at the venue together.”

At this point, Kageyama couldn’t bring himself to care about Himeko’s ridiculous demands anymore. He just wanted this whole thing to be over and he reasoned that the sooner he could arrive at the gala, the sooner this would end. “Sure, whatever. I can take the driver with me, can I?” He asked Sato, “I have no idea where this hotel is.”

Sato was looking at Kageyama suspiciously. “Maybe I should come with you. Just to make sure you arrive at Miss Himeko’s hotel without incident.”

Kageyama had known Sato long enough to guess what she was thinking. “I’m not going to use this chance to run away. Even if I wanted to, the driver isn’t going to listen to me. He’s scared of you.”

“I didn’t say anything,” came Sato’s piss poor attempt at acting innocent, “but just the same, I’m coming with you.”

“Uhm, hey, guys?” Rio interrupted them once more, “As fun as watching this exchange is, I think you better get going now.” She pointed to the clock on the wall. It was a quarter before six pm and the gala would start at seven.

Sato didn’t need to be told twice. “Alright, Kageyama, we’re leaving. I’m coming with you whether you like it or not. Thanks, Miss Rio.” She then grabbed Kageyama by the arm and, honest to goodness, hauled him out the door and into the car in a flash. How she managed to do that with her tiny frame, Kageyama would never know.

# 

With a stern reminder for him to ‘stay put and don’t attempt to run,’ Sato left Kageyama at the hotel to wait for Himeko. A hotel attendant arrived shortly to take him to the penthouse suite where, Kageyama hadn’t been surprised to learn, Himeko was staying. The lives of the unbelievably rich were really different, he mused.

After languishing in boredom for half an hour or so, Kageyama was almost glad to see Himeko finally emerge from what he assumed to be the penthouse’s master bedroom. Kageyama’s first thought upon seeing her was that they were indeed wearing matching clothes. Himeko was wearing a long blue sleeveless gown that wrapped itself tightly around her, flowing seamlessly like paint, before scattering at her feet in a shape that reminded Kageyama of a mermaid’s tale. Kageyama briefly wondered how she was still able to walk properly with her gown hugging her legs and torso like that, but he supposed that was one of the great mysteries of life that he would never uncover (he could probably ask Sato but he had a feeling that such a question would be met with unforgiving judgment).

Himeko looked at Kageyama from head to toe, likely scanning for any imperfection she could pick on. Kageyama expected some underhanded comment thrown his way and was surprised when he received none. “Hm, I suppose you clean up well,” Himeko said as though she was being forced.

Kageyama didn’t know how to react in this situation. Was he supposed to return the compliment? Was that even a compliment at all? In the end, he decided that the safest route was to keep quiet. He didn’t feel like complimenting Himeko, anyway.

“I trust that Sato gave you a rundown on how to behave later so I’ll spare you the lecture. Let’s go. I don’t want to be late,” Himeko said as she turned to leave.

_It’s just for tonight_ , Kageyama reminded himself. After this, he no longer had to put up with this woman. Kageyama held his annoyance in and followed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back in Part 1, a reader commented that Kageyama seemed to have had feelings for Tsukishima since they were in high school. To that person, sorry I never replied to your comment, but that's only because I didn't want to lie and say no but I also didn't want to confirm it because I was planning to reveal it in Part 2 and didn't want to spoil anything.
> 
> p.s. describing clothes is so difficult i'm in pain


	9. Chapter 9

Camera flashes went off in lightning succession the moment Kageyama and Himeko stepped out of the car. Kageyama did not forget Sato’s instructions and had done the gentlemanly thing – he got out first and offered his hand to help Himeko. Himeko obliged without comment and even directed what seemed to be a grateful smile at him. Kageyama guessed that she was playing it off for the cameras – he had noticed that Himeko put on a well-mannered, kind persona whenever in public.

Kageyama braced himself as he and Himeko walked the short distance between the car and the venue’s main entrance. This wasn’t the first gala he had been to. President Murata liked throwing these things a lot and, as a member of the Blue Falcons, Kageyama had been forced to attend on more than one occasion. No matter how many of these he attended, though, he could never really get used to them – and this particular gala was no exception. He always felt like a fish out of water when attending these things and, to make matters worse, he was attending this one as the ‘escort of the president’s sister,’ which meant that he caught other people’s attention more than he would have liked.

Himeko was still in her public persona and like a dutiful hostess began taking her rounds to greet all the guests the moment they got inside the venue. Kageyama thought Himeko would ignore him and let him sulk in a corner once they were inside but perhaps Himeko thought that would reflect poorly on her as the hostess of this party and so, Kageyama had been dragged along and Himeko took it upon herself to introduce him to everyone. He didn’t enjoy it one bit, especially when they got to a group of old ladies who fawned over him and expressed their envy for Himeko’s ‘charming date.’ He wanted to point out that he wasn’t Himeko’s _date_ , but Himeko was already heading for the next group of guests and he lost his chance.

The night’s entertainment began shortly after Himeko greeted everyone and she and Kageyama headed for a table in a quiet corner to settle down. As soon as they were out of anyone’s earshot, Himeko dropped her polite mask. “Ugh, I need a drink. I can’t believe I had to greet all those people without a single drop of alcohol in me.” She sounded like she hated having to greet the guests as much as Kageyama did.

As if summoned by Himeko’s rant, a waiter carrying a champagne tray passed by. Himeko grabbed two glasses and, before Kageyama could even begin to think that it was uncharacteristically thoughtful of her to grab a drink for him too, she downed the contents of each glass one after the other and set the empty glasses on the table.

Kageyama probably didn’t hide his surprise very well because Himeko raised an eyebrow at him. “Oh, did you want one too?”

_A glass would have been nice_ , Kageyama thought. “I can get one for myself.”

“That’s exactly what I thought, but fear not, I’m nothing if not a good hostess,” Himeko said as she waived the waiter back. When the waiter approached them this time, Himeko took one glass, set it in front of Kageyama, and then grabbed another two glasses for herself before sending the waiter away.

Kageyama watched the way Himeko drank alcohol like it was water, throwing her head back and downing an entire glass in one swig. He had always thought that Himeko was the type who would sooner eat through her own arm than be seen as anything but ‘prim and proper’ in public.

Himeko set the empty glass down and glared at Kageyama. “I see you judging me and if you must know, I would have grabbed an entire bottle for myself if I didn’t care about headlines tomorrow calling me an alcoholic if I did that. If anything, I deserve a commendation for acting with restraint. I just went around this room and pretended to smile in front of all the leeches. I deserve a drink.”

Well, wasn’t this a revelation? Kageyama had assumed that Himeko enjoyed these kinds of events — apparently, not. They were kindred souls, in that respect.

“Being around leeches pisses me off.” Himeko grabbed another glass and finished it off. “And _you_ ,” she pointed at Kageyama, “You’re—”

Whatever Himeko was going to say Kageyama was, Kageyama didn’t get to find out because they were interrupted by the arrival of a man who stopped right in front of Himeko.

“Good evening, Miss Murata. It’s a pleasure to see you again,” the man greeted Himeko with what could only be described as a leer, his eyes making their way across her body like a pair of snakes slithering across the ground.

When Himeko studied Kageyama’s appearance earlier, it was more like a clinical appraisal of how he looked. Detached and matter-of-fact — and so unlike the way this man was watching her right now. The man’s staring made Kageyama uncomfortable and it wasn’t even directed at him.

“Good evening.” Himeko stood up and shook the man’s hand. If Kageyama hadn’t been paying attention, he might have missed how the man held onto Himeko’s hand a bit too long, and how Himeko had to pull her hand away with more force than necessary. She kept the polite mask of her public persona but even Kageyama could tell that she didn’t appreciate this man’s inappropriate actions. “Pardon me but I don’t quite remember who you are.”

If Kageyama didn’t know any better, he would say that the man seemed to be offended by that.

“I’m Yamazaki Jun. I’m a freelancer now, being my own boss and all that,” the man, Yamazaki, replied through a decidedly creepy smile, “But we met at the Blue Falcons’ victory party back when I was a reporter at Japan Sports.” He made a motion of reaching out to Himeko like he was planning to run his hands across her arms.

Himeko stepped back before Yamazaki could make contact, causing her to bump into the table. “I can’t say I remember.”

“Hm, I can help prod your memory if you like.” Yamazaki stepped closer, effectively trapping Himeko between the table and himself.

Regardless of his uncharitable opinion towards Himeko, Kageyama couldn’t just sit idly while something like this was happening before his eyes. He stood up and shoved an arm between Himeko and Yamazaki, forcing the latter back and leaving space for him to step in and block the way.

“You’re being inappropriate,” Kageyama said. He was a lot taller and sturdier in built than Yamazaki, which made intimidating the other man through sheer presence alone a piece of cake.

Yamazaki raised both hands in front of himself. “Hey, easy man. I was just being friendly with Miss Murata here. It’s not my fault that the princess of TG is uncomfortable with the idea of associating with plebeians like me.”

Himeko stepped out from behind Kageyama. “Alright, that’s enough,” she said, her voice like a shard of ice, “You can choose to leave voluntarily now and keep your dignity intact or I can call security and have them drag you out of here like the ill-bred parasite that you are. Choose wisely.”

Yamazaki’s eyes shone as though they just uncovered a rare prize. “Ah, so the rumors about TG’s fiery little princess are true. Don’t worry, I won’t trouble you any longer. I know when I’m not welcome. Besides,” Yamazaki’s eyes landed on Kageyama, “I didn’t know the Murata Princess would bring a man with a history of violence as her date. I wouldn’t dare to get into a squabble with someone like that. I’m out of here.” With that, Yamazaki gave them triumphant grin and walked away.

It was Himeko who broke the silence once Yamazaki was out of sight. “I think I might just give in and grab an entire bottle of whiskey for myself. This night is getting more horrible by the second.” She sat back down and all but melted into her seat. She didn’t slump (of course not, she probably thought it was undignified), but it was a near thing. “I hate attending these events.”

Kageyama agreed with that statement. Wholeheartedly. In fact, he agreed so much that he momentarily forgot that he and Himeko weren’t actually on friendly terms and had a slip of the tongue. “I couldn’t have said it better. If you do grab that bottle of whiskey, do me a favor and share a glass with me.” By the time Kageyama realized what he had said, there was no longer a chance for him to take it back.

Surprisingly, Himeko replied in good humor. “I did say I’m a good hostess so instead of a glass, I’d give you your own bottle. Speaking hypothetically, of course. I’m not actually going to get a bottle of whiskey for myself in the middle of all this. I have an image to uphold.”

Because it was all about appearances with these people, Kageyama thought.

“By the way,” Himeko continued, “Thank you for earlier. It wasn’t necessary as I could have handled it myself but the gesture is appreciated.”

It took a moment for Kageyama to catch onto what Himeko was talking about. “Oh, that,” he said, referring to the exchange with the reporter, “It’s nothing. That guy’s a creep.”

Himeko made a disgusted face. “A _total_ creep. But you,” she said, giving Kageyama a sense of déjà vu when she pointed at him like she did before that guy Yamazaki sauntered in, “I’m still not sure what my brother sees in you but I’ll admit you’re different than most of the people around him. You’re not a leech.”

“A leech, huh? Is that what you were going to call me earlier? Before that Yamazaki appeared?” Kageyama had to satisfy his curiosity, at the very least.

“Yes, but I take it back. You’re probably not as bad as I thought.”

“It’s not like I need your approval.”

Himeko raised an eyebrow. “Fair point, but I also don’t need permission to look out for my brother. I’m vetting your character before I consider you deserving of his kindness – because he is kind, no matter what anyone says. Sometimes even _too_ kind that he needs someone to rein it in.”

“And that someone is you?”

“If we don’t watch out for each other, who will? We’re the only family we have left.”

Kageyama remembered Sato telling him that the parents of the Murata siblings died in a car accident ten years ago, but Himeko referenced it so casually that he was taken off guard. A similar situation would have been awkward enough with a close friend and with Himeko, who was a stranger to Kageyama by all accounts, the situation just made him too uncomfortable – and it probably showed because, in an unexpected show of consideration for him, Himeko was quick to backtrack.

“Ah, sorry,” Himeko said, trying to sound flippant, “Forget I ever said that.”

“It’s fine. I don’t mind.” Kageyama figured some situations called for a bit of a white lie. Himeko didn’t look entirely convinced but she did change the subject after that.

“You know what, let’s just drink,” Himeko called the attention of a waiter, “I may not be able to get a whole bottle but I’m determined to have as many glasses of champagne as I can without losing my wits.” She grabbed four glasses from the waiter’s tray and placed two in front of Kageyama.

Kageyama eyed the glasses suspiciously. “You’re giving me two now?”

“Don’t read into it.” Himeko swiftly waved him away. “Drink up,” she said as she downed her glass in one gulp.

#

Kageyama tugged his tie loose and threw it on top of the bed. His suit jacket had long been discarded and was now hanging limply on the side of an armchair. Next to go was his dress shirt, unbuttoned swiftly and tossed somewhere on the floor for him to unknowingly step on come morning, and then off came his belt, his pants, his socks.

It was only when he was down to his boxers that Kageyama felt he could finally breathe. He slumped faced down onto his bed and allowed his tired body to soak into the soft mattress. He didn’t know Rio very much but he guessed that if she could see how he had carelessly tossed her ‘creations’ left and right, she would have a heart attack. The thought made him chuckle. He should probably put away his used clothes but his limbs felt too heavy to get up from the bed. The clothes could wait until morning – he had more important things to do before the day’s exhaustion got the better of him and he was forced to clock out.

Kageyama reached for his phone and made a call. “Hey, I’m back from the gala,” he said, then added when he remembered what god-awful time it was, “Did I wake you up?”

There was a sound of rustling blankets on the other end. “No,” Tsukishima said, “I’m already in bed, mind you, but I got your voicemail earlier and I was waiting for you to call.”

“Sorry, I didn’t know it would end so late.” Kageyama had left a voicemail earlier before leaving for the gala, telling Tsukishima to wait up because he was going to call when he got back to the hotel. He hadn’t realized then that the gala would stretch past midnight or that he would have been obligated to stay until the event ended – if he had he wouldn’t have asked Tsukishima to stay up waiting for him.

“It’s fine. You know I would’ve slept if I really wanted to. I wanted to hear what happened at the gala as soon as possible. You didn’t make a fool of yourself, did you?”

“Of course not. What exactly do you think of me?”

“Kageyama, I’ve known you since you were a bumbling teenager,” Tsukishima spoke as if that statement was explanation enough, “I was simply checking because you were escorting the TG Princess, which meant the pressure for you not to mess up was twice as great.”

“Hm, I guess? She wasn’t as bad as I expected she would be. Not tonight, at least. I think I may have gotten into her good books now.” Kageyama recalled his conversation with Himeko about ‘vetting’ his character. Not that he cared much what she thought of him but it did seem like he passed her assessment.

“How did _that_ happen?” Tsukishima’s voice was laced thick with incredulity.

“I don’t know. I met her criteria or whatever. It doesn’t matter.” As passably nice as she had been to him tonight, Kageyama had had enough of Himeko. Time to change the subject. “And you? How was _your_ day?”

Tsukishima let out a heavy sigh. “More of the same, really. Fujiwara is still a pain in my neck because the Chief still has it in her head that we’re great together. If this continues, I may never work another assignment again without having Fujiwara as my partner.”

“He didn’t seem so bad when I talked to him.” Kageyama only had limited interactions with Fujiwara but the man had seemed like the good sort. He had asked too many questions during the interview but he knew not to press when Kageyama expressed discomfort for a particular subject. All in all, Fujiwara seemed like a nice guy – in Kageyama’s opinion at least.

“That’s because you don’t have to deal with him on a regular basis,” Tsukishima said, his tone dismissive. “Can we please stop talking about work? It’s stressing me out.”

Sure, Kageyama could talk about something else. “Did you pine after me in high school?”

“Excuse me _what_?”

“I asked if you–”

“Again, _excuse me_ , I do not pine. Where in the world did you even get that idea? And why are you asking me that all of a sudden?”

“Well…” Kageyama began, drawing out the word, “I met with Hinata today and he said some… _interesting_ things to me.”

“You and Hinata in the same sentence do not bode well but okay. I’ll bite. What did he tell you?”

“He said he was glad we finally got together since he watched me pine after you in high school,” Kageyama spoke as though he was making some inane comment about the weather, “I don’t know where he got that because I wasn’t pining over you back then but that got me thinking, what if _you_ were pining after me?”

Tsukishima was silent for a moment and when he finally spoke, he sounded full of resignation. “Kageyama, are you drunk?”

“I’ve had a bit to drink but not enough to get me drunk. I’m not a complete lightweight.”

“I’m just making sure because you’re saying some ridiculous things,” Tsukishima said, “Anyway, why does it matter who was pining over who six, seven years ago? It’s better to focus on the present – and that’s coming from _me_ , of all people, so you should listen.”

When Kageyama first asked about the supposed pining in high school, he didn’t know what he wanted to hear from Tsukishima. After those words though, he thought Tsukishima answered perfectly.

“You know, I told Hinata the exact same thing. What’s important is what we have now, which reminds me–” Kageyama found himself smiling, “–you hung up on me last night.”

“Oh, did I?”

“Yeah, you did. You ran away like a coward.”

“ _That_ , I did not.”

“Really? Prove it.” If Kageyama knew anything about Tsukishima, he would guess that Tsukishima would take the bait and meet his challenge – while pretending to be annoyed about it.

A grueling six seconds passed (Kageyama counted) before Tsukishima replied.

“I do love you, you volleyball-brained idiot,” Tsukishima said with equal parts exasperation and fondness. Kageyama laughed. As expected, Tsukishima was too proud to shy away from a direct challenge but also too proud to admit that he gave in.

“Is that what you wanted to hear?” Tsukishima continued, “Because let me tell you, if you’re forcing me to say it then it loses its meaning.”

“I’m not forcing you,” Kageyama said when his laughter died down, “I just wanted to hear it again to make sure I didn’t imagine it the first time.”

“You really are an idiot.”

Kageyama hummed in response. “If there’s any word that has lost meaning, it’s the word ‘idiot’ because you say it so often.”

“Oh… is that so?” Tsukishima sounded impressed. “How did you get so good at twisting other people’s words against them?” It was a rhetorical question – they both knew the answer to that.

“I learn from the best,” was Kageyama’s smug reply.

“The best, huh? I’ll have you know that flattery will get you nowhere.”

“Even with you?”

“ _Especially_ with me.”

This was nonsense. They were exchanging nonsense over the phone at one o’ clock in the morning – and Kageyama would be damned if he said this wasn’t the highlight of his day. No, his _week_.

Kageyama smiled to himself. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to be enveloped inside a warm cocoon of bliss. He feared he didn’t have the right words to express how happy he was at that moment.

“Hey, you didn’t fall asleep on me, did you?” Tsukishima asked after a while, “We can hang up if you’re too tired. It’s pretty late.”

“I _am_ a bit sleepy.” Perhaps triggered by the reminder, Kageyama let out a yawn. “But let’s not hang up yet. I like listening to your voice.” Another yawn. “I miss you. I hate this stupid press tour so much.”

“Are you sure you’re not drunk?”

“Tipsy is a better word, I think. But do I really need to be drunk to say these things?”

“On second thought, no. You do have a habit of saying embarrassing things even when sober.”

“Didn’t you just confess your undying love to me? We’re in the same boat here.” Kageyama’s eyes were getting heavy but he soldiered on. He didn’t want to end the call yet.

“I’m pretty sure you just made up the undying part.”

“Yeah, but…” Kageyama yawned, “It’s not so bad… is it?” His speech began to slow down as drowsiness took over.

“Hey, you sound really tired.” Tsukishima’s voice was gentle, devoid of the teasing edge from earlier. “Let’s continue this tomorrow, yeah?”

“Hmm, ‘kay…” Kageyama answered, his mouth working on auto-pilot, “I really miss you,” he said before drifting off to sleep.

Kageyama was no longer awake to hear Tsukishima’s reply but if he were, he would have heard Tsukishima telling him the same thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...and that concludes the Osaka arc of this story! Finally! Kageyama has been stuck in Osaka for five chapters even I was getting antsy.


	10. Chapter 10

“I can’t believe they didn’t recognize you!” The female host leaned back and gave out one of those obvious fake laughs. The story Kageyama shared wasn’t even that funny. It was the same tired one about the neighborhood park bullies who arrogantly challenged him to a game of volleyball – the one that stopped being interesting about seven interviews ago.

“They shouldn’t have. The Blue Falcons had just joined the league at the time,” came Kageyama’s rehearsed response. He and Sato had gone over this so many times he had lost count.

“Well, I’m sure they know who you are now and I’ll bet that they feel proud – not everyone can say that they’ve played against a pro! Never mind that they got their assess handed to them!” The host threw her head back again for a fake laugh and even brought her hand up to wipe away imaginary tears. “Oh wow, this interview has been so much fun it’s a shame we have to wrap up. Thank you for being such a good sport! But before I let you go, I have one last question that I’m sure our viewers are dying to know the answer to,” the host sat up straight and assumed a serious expression, “Is it true that you’re dating Murata Himeko, the sister of Blue Falcons President Murata Hisashi?”

Kageyama had long since learned how to keep a neutral – sometimes even friendly – expression during interviews, but even long hours of practice in keeping an impassive face with the press were not enough to stop him from sending a death glare to the host. Where the hell did that question come from?

“What?” Kageyama stopped short of asking ‘what the fuck’ – this whole thing was recorded but he was sure Sato would scold his ear off if he swore during a broadcast, live or not.

“Oh, I see.” The host gave Kageyama a mischievous smile. “Playing coy, are we? Don’t worry. I can keep a secret. It’s just between us and the viewers,” she spoke as though what she was saying made perfect sense.

Kageyama was inches from storming out of the interview when he heard Sato speak. “Excuse me, please stop the recording,” she called out in her familiar, no-room-for-argument voice that, on occasion, even got Kageyama to shut up and listen like an obedient child. She walked onto the set, right in front of Kageyama and the host. She was blocking the cameras and generally making a nuisance of herself so the director had no choice but to do as she asked and call cut.

As soon as the cameras stopped rolling, a harried member of the production staff approached and spoke to Sato. “Is there something wrong? What’s going on?”

“That last question wasn’t included in the list of pre-approved questions. The host went off the script, asked a controversial question based on who knows what and put Kageyama in the hot seat. Good thing this show isn’t live. We didn’t expect this kind of unprofessional behavior and if we had known, we never would have agreed to this interview. In fact, I don’t think we need to stay here any longer.” Sato turned to Kageyama. “Let’s go, Kageyama. This interview is done.”

“W-wait!” The producer called out to Sato. He looked like he was torn between panicking and feeling apologetic. “We’re very sorry. It’s just that sometimes interviewers get caught in the flow of conversation and deviate from the script, but we’ll cut that part out and then record the last part as we rehearsed.”

Sato crossed her arms over her chest and assumed a stiff posture. Kageyama could tell she was wavering on her decision. “Can you give me a minute to talk to Kageyama?” Without waiting for a response, Sato walked a little farther away from the producer so he wouldn’t hear. Kageyama followed suit.

“Okay, here’s the thing,” Sato started speaking in a quiet voice, “They’re in the wrong so they can’t really fault us for walking out _but_ – I know how these people think, and if they think you got unreasonably offended with the question about you dating Miss Himeko, they might assume it’s because you’re actually trying to hide something. Our safest bet here is for you to finish the interview as planned. Hopefully, they’ll just think you got angry because they went off-script and asked an inappropriate question.”

“So you want me to stay.” Kageyama didn’t need to ask. He had guessed this earlier, even before Sato pulled him aside to talk.

“Just think of it as putting out fires before they get too big. This is your last interview in Aichi, anyway. You get a two-week break before we head to Shizuoka so just think of this as one last hurdle before that.”

Kageyama knew that Sato was right – as she always was, about these things. “Okay. Your call.”

#

Filming the last part of the interview had been quick enough and as soon as the director called for the final cut, Sato and Kageyama left the building.

Once inside the car, the driver handed a newspaper to Sato. “Here’s the paper you wanted me to buy,” he said.

Sato took the offered newspaper with a muttered ‘thanks’ and read it silently. Kageyama watched in rapt attention as Sato’s face morphed from curiosity to disbelief before finally settling on outrage. Then, she looked at Kageyama and handed the newspaper over. The part she held in her hand was crumpled under the force of her grip. “You might want to read this,” she said.

“What’s in it?” Kageyama eyed the newspaper with distrust. He didn’t dare touch it.

“Just read it, will you?” Tired of waiting, Sato forced the newspaper into Kageyama’s hand. Kageyama had no choice but to look and what he saw left him dumbfounded.

Right there, smack dab on the front page of the newspaper was an article about the TG Group’s supposed ‘royal couple’ – ‘TG Princess’ Murata Himeko and ‘King of the Court’ Kageyama Tobio.

Kageyama had never hated his old middle school nickname more than he did at that moment.

“What the hell is this?” Kageyama didn’t know whether he should laugh at the silliness of it or be amazed that some people could come up with such crazy ideas.

“The usual idiocy from the press,” Sato said, “I only saw that now, actually. I was wondering where the host got the idea for that question earlier so I had the driver look for any newspaper carrying news about you and Miss Himeko. Daily Sun,” she said the name of the newspaper in disgust, “I’m not surprised. That tabloid only ever prints unfounded rumors. I don’t know why anyone still gives it the time of day.”

“Where did they even get all this?” Kageyama asked as he surveyed the collection of photos published along with the article – Kageyama having lunch with the Murata siblings, but with President Murata hidden so the focus is on Kageyama and Himeko alone; Kageyama and Himeko stepping out from Tino and Sons the day Kageyama got fitted for his suit; Kageyama entering the hotel where Himeko had been staying back in Osaka; Kageyama and Himeko arriving at the gala; and lastly, Kageyama and Himeko inside the gala venue, sitting at their table and chatting over drinks. That last one was particularly deceptive, in Kageyama’s opinion. The way the photo was taken made him and Himeko appear more intimate than they had been in reality.

“Paparazzi,” Sato answered, “I guess we should have been more careful. That’s an oversight on my part. Sorry.”

The apology was unnecessary as Kageyama didn’t blame Sato in any way – he blamed the press and all the meddlesome parasites who thought they had the right to intrude in his affairs and weave all these made-up stories. “It’s not your fault, but what are we going to do now?” It hadn’t been long since the last time he became the target of such lies and that situation had been difficult for everyone concerned.

“I wouldn’t know any specific plans until I talk to Manager Sasaki but I suspect that management isn’t going to let this pass, especially since Miss Himeko’s name is involved. I have a feeling that this would be dealt with quickly but,” Sato paused and gave Kageyama a worried look, “Aren’t you going to call your boyfriend about this? If he sees this article he might come to the wrong conclusion. Better to clear things out with him before it causes a misunderstanding between you two.”

Hearing Sato refer to Tsukishima as his ‘boyfriend’ was music to Kageyama’s ears but, unfortunately, he couldn’t show his delight over it in the face of Sato’s genuine concern for his relationship.

“You’ve been away for some time,” Sato continued, “and no matter how reasonable people normally are, they tend to overthink when they’re in a relationship, especially when they’re apart and they don’t know what’s happening with the other person.” She seemed like she was speaking from experience, which made Kageyama uncomfortable about dismissing her – he didn’t want to trivialize Sato’s worries but she didn’t know what Tsukishima was like.

“I’m going to call him, but not because I’m worried he’d misunderstand anything. He’s not the type to believe such things.” Kageyama took his phone out and made the call. “Hello, are you busy?” He asked when Tsukishima picked up on the other end. He wasn’t familiar with the goings-on of the magazine publishing industry but it was 9 am and he assumed that any self-respecting workplace would be busy enough this time of day.

“I’m working on something but I can spare a few minutes for the other half of the TG Group’s royal couple,” came Tsukishima’s reply and in that instant, Kageyama knew he had seen the news.

“Yeah, I was actually calling about that,” Kageyama said. From the corner of his eye, he could see Sato trying (and failing) to pretend she wasn’t listening in on the conversation. As if that was even physically possible – they were seating inches apart inside a car, after all. “I wanted to tell you that none of it is true. Well, the pictures are real but the captions are not.”

Tsukishima sounded faintly amused when he spoke. “I don’t know if I should be glad that you cared enough to reassure me or if I should be offended that you even thought I would believe any of that garbage.”                                               

“Hey, I _knew_ you wouldn’t believe any of it.” At this, Kageyama turned to Sato and gave her a look that was meant to convey ‘I told you so.’ “This is just an excuse to talk to you.” 

“Okay, then. Consider me not offended. I’ve been meaning to call you, anyway. I wanted to ask you something.”

“Ask away.”

“When were all those photos taken? You told me you were going to the gala with Murata Himeko but I didn’t know you met her a few times before that.” There was the tell-tale sound of shuffling papers from Tsukishima’s end. “The lunch photo, when was that taken?”

“That was during the first time we met,” came Kageyama’s automatic reply, “I was supposed to have lunch with President Murata because he wanted to introduce me to someone. That someone turned out to be his sister.”

“Hmm… I see President Murata has been conveniently excluded in the shot so it appears as though you and Himeko were having lunch alone,” Tsukishima sounded contemplative, “And the photo outside the tailor shop?”

“On the day before the gala. I had to be fitted for a suit and Himeko was also there. We left at the same time – but separately,” Kageyama felt the need to add. Not that he was guilty of anything but this was sounding more and more like an interrogation and it was his natural instinct to defend himself.

“The photo of you entering the hotel… I’m assuming that was taken before the gala? Did you pick her up?”

“Yeah, she said we needed to arrive at the gala together for appearances’ sake.”

“And the last two photos were taken at the gala itself.”

“They were. I don’t recall when exactly but it was after that creepy guy left.”

“Creepy guy?” Of all the things to latch onto, Kageyama did not expect Tsukishima to zero in on that.

“Some freelancer or something. He came onto Himeko so I scared him away,” Kageyama explained, “You remember when I told you I’ve gotten on Himeko’s good books? It was after that.”

“I see. Okay, uhm, can I call you again later?” Gone was Tsukishima’s quiet contemplative tone from before. Now, he just sounded harried. “There’s something urgent I need to work on.”

“Sure, but–”

“Great! I’ll call you later.” Tsukishima hung up after that and Kageyama was left wondering just what the hell happened.

Tsukishima hadn’t seemed at all affected by the article but what was that sudden interrogation all about? Was it possible he was actually jealous and simply pretending to be fine about it? Kageyama wouldn’t put something like that past Tsukishima.

Sato’s words came back to Kageyama _‘no matter how reasonable people normally are, they tend to overthink when they’re in a relationship, especially when they’re apart…’_ Tsukishima was a chronic over-thinker on the most normal of days, would that intensify if he was in a relationship?

Kageyama shuddered at the thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, the good ol' press. Bane of Kageyama's existence.
> 
> On another note, what's up with Tsukishima?


	11. Chapter 11

It was just as well that Kageyama was given a two-week break immediately after the interview in Aichi or else Sato would have had a mutiny on her hands. Kageyama had been worried sick over Tsukishima’s unusual reaction the last time they talked that he was itching to see Tsukishima the moment he got back to Tokyo. He didn’t even bother to go to his apartment to drop off his bags – he went straight to Tsukishima’s place.

As luck would have it, Tsukishima was home that day and Kageyama didn’t have to wait outside like he usually did whenever he visited Tsukishima’s apartment unannounced.

Tsukishima seemed surprised upon seeing Kageyama in front of his door but that soon gave way to confusion as he took in Kageyama’s appearance. “Are you running away from someone? You look like you’ve been reenacting a zombie chase scene.”

“Good, you’re home.” Kageyama walked past Tsukishima and barreled into the apartment. He didn’t spare time for pleasantries and took a spot on the couch. “Sit down. We need to talk.”

Tsukishima turned to Kageyama with question in his eyes but did as asked anyway. He took a seat on a chair opposite Kageyama. “ _We need to talk_ ,” he repeated with a mocking air, “those words have never been the sign of anything good.”

Before coming, Kageyama had had half a mind to ease into the conversation with Tsukishima but he decided against it because Tsukishima’s stubbornness needed to be faced head on. He ignored the jibe and went straight to the matter at hand. “I’m not going out with Himeko,” he said, expression grave, “I’d never do that to you.”

Kageyama spoke with as much sincerity as he could but Tsukishima simply looked at him as though he had just said something completely ridiculous.

“ _That’s_ what this is about?” Tsukishima asked with a hint of amusement, “And here I thought we already settled that.”

Of all the ways Kageyama imagined this particular conversation would go, this was definitely not it. “But last time – on the phone – I don’t understand…?”

“I don’t believe any of the garbage written about you. I distinctly remember telling you that last time.”

“Yeah, but towards the end, you asked about the pictures and then you hung up–”

“I did not hang up. I told you there was something urgent I needed to do.”

“I thought that was just an excuse and you were actually upset and hiding it.” Kageyama had spent the entire trip to Tokyo worrying about how he was going to explain the situation and reconcile with Tsukishima but now he felt like all of that had been just an overreaction on his part. “Okay, in my defense, you kind of have a history of pretending that you’re okay when you’re not?”

Tsukishima looked like he didn’t appreciate that particular comment. “I’m going to let that slide – just this once – because there’s obviously been a lot of misunderstandings here and clearing those up is more important,” he said, “Kageyama, I do know that you’re not the type to cheat on someone. You only have volleyball inside that brain of yours so if I was ever going to compete with _anything_ for your attention – not that I would – it would most likely be with volleyball but, if you ever _do_ cheat on me, you honestly think I would take that lying down?”

Come to think of it, Tsukishima was more likely to take cheating as a personal insult, and while Kageyama didn’t think Tsukishima was the type to make a scene, he certainly wasn’t the type to play the martyr. “…Uh, no?”

“There you go. I don’t know why we’re still having this conversation.”

Kageyama was torn between relief and annoyance. On the one hand, he wasn’t too happy that he spent all that time worrying for nothing but on the other, he was kind of glad that he spent all that time worrying for  _nothing_.

“Are we good now?” Tsukishima asked, this time with genuine concern and none of the mocking amusement from earlier, “Because as entertaining as your worrying is, I’d really prefer if we didn’t have those rumors constantly hanging above our heads.”

“Yeah… yeah, we’re good,” Kageyama decided to settle on relief. The entire situation hadn’t been ideal but, at the very least, he was able to understand Tsukishima a little bit more because of it. If Tsukishima trusted him this much then he could learn to do the same and give Tsukishima some credit. It was a work in progress.

#

With that awkward misunderstanding behind them, Kageyama was finally able to move on to his original plans for this brief Tokyo break – a plan that has been in the works the moment he stepped foot inside that restaurant in Osaka with the amazing view of the city skyline. Ideally, he had wanted to bring Tsukishima to Osaka but because they were both busy, he decided it was more convenient to look for a similar restaurant in Tokyo.

The search eventually led Kageyama to the Hisakata, a restaurant that offered the best sunset view of the city, which perfectly fit into his plans. Unfortunately, the Hisakata only had private rooms so they couldn’t have the panoramic view of the city that Kageyama originally wanted, but he did take care in requesting the room with the best view and they were given one with two adjacent walls of floor-to-ceiling windows. He figured that was good enough. For now. He resolved that he and Tsukishima would most definitely visit Osaka someday so he could show Tsukishima an even better view than the one they had now.

Kageyama surveyed the private room he was currently sitting in. Tsukishima had yet to arrive and he was getting a little antsy. He didn’t want to spoil the surprise so he simply told Tsukishima to dress nicely and meet him at the restaurant but maybe he should have been clearer with the message he sent?

Before Kageyama could spiral down into silly restless thoughts, the door to the room opened and the attendant announced the arrival of Kageyama’s companion. The attendant disappeared shortly afterward and Tsukishima walked into the room. He was wearing a teasing smile and a cream-colored suit, which flattered his form in a way that gave Kageyama ideas best left in private.

“I knew there were perks to dating a professional athlete,” Tsukishima said as he glanced around the room. Kageyama could guess what he was thinking – the entire place screamed _‘expensive’_ (which it was, but that wasn’t the point).

Tsukishima walked over to one of the windows and watched the city below. The sun was beginning to set, bathing the entire world around them in its warm pinkish glow. “You’re not still trying to make up for the rumors, are you?” He asked with his back turned to Kageyama.

No, all of that was behind Kageyama now. “We haven’t seen each other in a while,” he said by way of explanation.

“So a fancy dinner to make up for a few months of separation, huh?” To anyone who didn’t know Tsukishima, those words probably made it sound like he was unimpressed by the whole thing.

Kageyama knew better than that. He walked over to the windows and stood side by side with Tsukishima. “I actually wanted us to go to Osaka. There’s this restaurant there with the most amazing view of the city and when I saw that, I remembered how you babbled on about that blue hour thing back in Hakone.” Kageyama turned to his side and studied Tsukishima’s profile. “I wanted to show it to you but we’re both busy. This restaurant is the best I could find on short notice.”

Tsukishima turned to face Kageyama then. He looked like he couldn’t believe what Kageyama just said.

_Oops_ , Kageyama thought. Did he say something wrong? “Hey, you know I don’t actually know anything about photography, right?” He said before Tsukishima inevitably called him out on whatever mistake he made.

Tsukishima shook his head. “It’s not that.”

“Do you like the view, at least?”

Instead of answering, Tsukishima took a step forward and closed the distance between them. He cupped Kageyama’s cheeks and leaned in for a soft, chaste kiss. “The view is lovely, Kageyama. Thank you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Show of hands, who expected drama because of the previous chapter? ;)
> 
> Sorry this is really short, btw. I've been very busy T_T On another note though, I hope my decision to make Tsukishima not care about the rumors makes sense. We can interpret Kageyama's character in many ways but I firmly believe that he wouldn't be the type to cheat on someone. This is a man who has single-minded devotion for a sport, I'd assume he would also be that devoted in a relationship. Anyway, Tsukishima should know Kageyama very well, which means he would know that if Kageyama were to ever 'fall out of love' then he would be very upfront about it and not go behind his partner's back and cheat.
> 
> tl;dr Kageyama wouldn't be the type to cheat. Tsukishima knows this and, therefore, does not give a shit about the rumors.


	12. Chapter 12

“Summer is about to end…”

This was the horrifying realization that dawned on Kageyama as he and Tsukishima were having breakfast. He had been so preoccupied with Sato dragging him all over the country, it escaped his attention that in two weeks’ time, the leaves would start changing color and autumn would be upon them. Not that Kageyama didn’t like autumn – it was a beautiful season – but he had always been a summer kind of guy and he couldn’t believe that his favorite time of the year was about to pass and he and Tsukishima hadn’t even done anything to commemorate it.

“…Uh, yes?” Tsukishima said, confused, “It’s the last week of August.”

“I know,” Kageyama said as though it was the end of the world. As far as he was concerned, it was. He would probably get teased for it but Kageyama had been wanting to attend a summer festival with Tsukishima. As a couple. Like they do in manga. “Are there any summer festivals left this time of the year?”

Tsukishima perked up at that. “Oh, were you thinking of attending one?”

“Well, yeah,” Kageyama tried not to sound too excited, “with you. Don’t you want to?” He asked with a bit of uncertainty seeping in at the end.

“I usually don’t like going out in the summer. I find the heat unbearable–” Kageyama could feel his hopes dying with Tsukishima’s every word, “–but I don’t mind going this time. You probably want to go as a couple or something cheesy like that, don’t you?” Tsukishima finished with a teasing smile.

The sound of Kageyama’s dreams crashing down had been too distracting that he failed to catch the last part of what Tsukishima said. “I’m sorry, what was that?” He seemed to have heard something good but that could just be his imagination. “Did you just say you’re going with me to a festival?”

“Hey, no need to sound too surprised.” Tsukishima raised a placating hand. “I can always take it back.”

“No way. You already agreed so we’re going to find a festival being held this week and we’re going. You can’t take it back.”

“Relax, I was kidding, and I think there are some festivals held towards the end of August…” Tsukishima reached for his phone and started browsing. “Ah! Here it is.” He turned his phone so the screen was facing Kageyama. “Azabu-Juban Noryo,” he said with a grin, “We’re in luck. It’s being held tonight. So, are we going or not?”

“Yes, we are.”

“As a couple?” Tsukishima raised an eyebrow. “Like they do in manga?”

Trust Tsukishima to uncover Kageyama’s intentions and tease him for it. Then again, Kageyama wasn’t complaining. “You agreed so you can’t make fun of me.”

“Hm… I guess not. Although, if you make me do cheesy couple stuff I swear I–” Tsukishima was interrupted by the sound of Kageyama’s phone.

“It’s a message from Sato,” Kageyama offered without being asked, “She said Himeko wants to meet with me today.”

#

“I’m sorry for intruding on your personal time,” Himeko said as she walked over to where Kageyama was sitting and placed a cup of coffee on the small table in front of him. “You should understand, I wouldn’t have insisted on today’s meeting if it wasn’t important.”

“Sato told me as much,” Kageyama said, not bothering to hide his dissatisfaction with this turn of events. He hadn’t been pleased when Sato called him that morning, telling him that Himeko just got back to Tokyo and requested that he come to see her at her office. Kageyama had wanted to refuse. He had been planning to spend the entire day with Tsukishima but after Sato informed him that today’s meeting had to do with the dating rumors, even Tsukishima had been convinced that Kageyama should go. _‘It probably concerns how your company is going to handle the rumors. I think it’s better if you see her,’_ Tsukishima had said and Kageyama, though reluctant, had to agree that it made sense.

“I know we’d both rather be somewhere else so I’ll go straight to the point. I had my people do some digging around and they’ve found the person behind the dating rumors. You remember that creep from the gala?”

Kageyama did. Unfortunately. “Yeah, I do. He said he was a reporter or something, right? So he’s behind all this?” What an asshole. That guy’s mere presence had really ticked Kageyama off and now he understood why.

“Yes, but it’s a little more complicated than that.” Himeko got a folder from her desk, which she handed to Kageyama.

Kageyama opened the folder and was greeted with a photo of the creep from the gala, along with several documents containing what he could only assume to be private information. He looked at Himeko with accusation in his eyes. He could guess how she got a hold of all this.

Himeko seemed to understand what Kageyama was getting at. “I had him investigated, so what? He makes a living out of invading other people’s privacy, why should I care about his?”

Privacy had always been a touchy subject for Kageyama but when Himeko put it that way, he found it quite difficult to disagree. It probably made him seem like a hypocrite, though.

“Yamazaki Jun,” Himeko continued, “He works as a freelancer now but he used to be a reporter for Japan Sports. Guess why he no longer works there.” She looked at Kageyama pointedly. “He got fired because of you.”

“What? That’s impossible. I don’t even know him.” Before the gala, Kageyama had never even met the guy.

“I’m sure you don’t, but you know that controversy about you several months ago? The one about your _violent past_?” Himeko said the words with air quotes, “He was behind all that and when the Blue Falcons resorted to legal action against the people who ran that story, Yamazaki’s company dropped him as a scapegoat. Not that he didn’t deserve it but he seems to have held onto a grudge against you ever since. He blames you for what happened.”

“Yeah? Well, that’s stupid. It’s not my fault he wrote an untruthful story and got fired for it.” As far as Kageyama was concerned, _he_ should be the one holding a grudge against Yamazaki. That whole controversy got him into a lot of trouble, some of which he was still making up for until now.

“It _is_ stupid to blame you for something he brought upon himself. Unfortunately, Yamazaki doesn’t seem to think so. Kageyama, this guy is out to get you. His latest scheme is spreading rumors about the two of us dating but I have a feeling that’s just the beginning. I wanted to talk to you so I could warn you. I advice that you watch your back since we don’t know what else he could be plotting.”

That was nice of Himeko, Kageyama supposed. “Then, thanks, I guess.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not doing this for you.” At this, Himeko’s expression turned dangerous. “That little parasite will regret the day he decided to involve me in this. I’m going to destroy him so _thoroughly_ that when I’m done, he will _never_ think about working in this industry again,” she said with a sharp glint in her eye that sent chills running down Kageyama’s spine.

It was a good thing they were on the same side.

#

“I knew it,” Tsukishima said as he sipped on his coffee. He and Kageyama had agreed to meet at a café later that afternoon and Kageyama had just finished telling him about what happened at the meeting with Himeko. “I had a hunch when you talked about the creepy freelancer guy at the gala. I knew Yamazaki was behind the delinquent story about you so I’ve been asking around about him. Himeko beat me to it. It’s easier to dig around when you have connections and money, after all.” He gave Kageyama a knowing look. “I guess you weren’t lying when you said you’ve gotten into her good books. She actually went out of her way to warn you.”

“You’re not jealous, are you?” Kageyama said with what he hoped was a smug expression.

“Oh, please.” Tsukishima looked terribly unimpressed.

Kageyama didn’t pout but it was a near thing. “I’m glad you trust me this much but seeing you unaffected about me being friendly with another woman kind of makes me feel unloved,” he said, “In any case, she’s just angry that she got dragged into Yamazaki’s plans. Honestly, I don’t know why everyone’s getting worked up. Himeko, Sato, even _you_. What can Yamazaki do against me? He’s just telling lies and if our management wants to, they can shut him down like they did last time.”

“I know Yamazaki and saying he’s spiteful is an understatement. Aren’t you concerned about this? At all?” There was a hint of edginess in Tsukishima’ tone. “Yamazaki – or someone else he’s paid, I don’t know – these people have taken photos of you on multiple occasions. They’re watching your every move and then spinning ridiculous stories about it, aren’t you worried?”

“I don’t care. They’re all lies, anyway.”

“The story about you being a delinquent was a lie too and look how _that_ went. You’re still working on restoring your reputation until now. People will believe what they want to believe, Kageyama. It’s easier to deal with when what they say about you is not true but what if one day they write about something that you can’t deny?”

Tsukishima’s words hit a little too close to home. “What are you trying to say, Tsukishima?” Kageyama asked even as the implication dawned on him.

“You know what I’m talking about,” Tsukishima crossed his arms on his chest. He refused to meet Kageyama’s eyes.

That was enough to make Kageyama’s hackles raise. “No, I don’t,” he said, provoking, “I’m a dumbass so I have no idea what you’re trying to say here so you have to be more specific. What are you trying to say, Tsukishima?”

“Don’t start a fight. Not here.” Tsukishima’s eyes were darting around the café, obviously trying to see if the rising tension between the two of them were attracting any needless attention.

“What are you looking around for? Are you scared that the other customers are going to notice that two guys are having a lover’s quarrel?”

“You–” Tsukishima leaned in and whispered, “Do you want people to hear? Are you really going to risk people recognizing you?”

“I don’t care what people think,” Kageyama said with as much vehemence and conviction as he could muster. He was sure he had said this to Tsukishima before. Why couldn’t Tsukishima understand?

Tsukishima sat back and let out a sigh. “Kageyama, will you please calm down? Believe it or not, I’m not trying to start a fight. I’m just saying this because–” He looked like he was having a hard time getting the words out, “I’m saying this because I know what Yamazaki is like and he is exactly the type of person who would resort to underhanded means if it means getting back at you. I just want you to be a little bit more concerned about this, okay? It wouldn’t kill you to be careful.”

Kageyama still maintained that he didn’t care if people found out about him and Tsukishima but seeing how Tsukishima was trying hard to keep the peace between the two of them, he decided it wasn’t worth getting into a fight over that right now. He and Tsukishima could talk about that properly later when tensions weren’t running as high and they didn’t have to worry about some vengeful guy coming after him. “Okay,” he conceded, “I’ll be careful. I promise.”

#

The festival had gathered quite a crowd and when Kageyama and Tsukishima arrived, they found not only various stalls lining the alley but also a throng of people. It had been intimidating to look at. With a mass of people in their way, getting from one end of the festival to another had been quite a challenge.

Despite that, though, Kageyama was enjoying himself. He had been worried that their little argument at the café had ruined tonight’s festival experience for them and he was glad to see that that wasn’t the case. In fact, it even seemed like that argument didn’t happen at all, what with the pleasant, harmonious atmosphere surrounding the both of them as they sat on a bench in a secluded corner, eating the snacks they bought away from the crowd.

“This is nice,” Tsukishima said, “Although, it is a little hot, but that’s summer for you.”

“I like summer. It’s my favorite season,” Kageyama replied, defensive of his favorite time of the year.

The look on Tsukishima’s face said that he didn’t find Kageyama’s response surprising at all. “Of course it is. Let me guess, your second favorite is spring, isn’t it?”

They were simply talking about seasons and not trying to get a rise out of each other but, somehow, Kageyama felt like he was being teased. “Why do I feel like you’re making fun of me?”

Tsukishima laughed at that. “I’m not always out to get you, you know?”

“I find that hard to believe.”

Tsukishima didn’t say anything to that and they soon found themselves lapsing into silence. They wordlessly watched people go by and Kageyama reached for a piece of yakitori to occupy himself with while Tsukishima seemed lost in thought.

Kageyama had finished his yakitori by the time the silence was broken by Tsukishima’s voice.

“I like autumn,” Tsukishima said, his gaze still directed at the crowd and not at Kageyama, “I like the changing of the leaves’ colors but it’s more than that. Usually, people like to think of autumn as a season of melancholy because it’s cold and the leaves are falling and there’s just this general feeling of emptiness. For me, though, I find it peaceful. Falling dead leaves may not be as pretty to look at as falling cherry blossom petals but I think they’re beautiful in their own way.”

Not quite pretty but beautiful in its own way. It didn’t seem to make much sense but Kageyama felt like he understood what Tsukishima meant. Somehow. “I think I get what you mean. It’s kind of like how a great receive in volleyball isn’t as flashy as a spike but it also takes a lot of skill and it contributes a lot to the match.”

“It’s always volleyball with you,” Tsukishima said, he seemed to be trying to go for annoyed but his words came out fond instead – or at least, that was how Kageyama interpreted it, “but that’s right. I would have preferred a better comparison, though.”

“Oh come on, you love volleyball as much as I do.”

Tsukishima shook his head almost violently. “Nope. Not as much as you do. I can’t ever match that. Your love for volleyball is bordering on unhealthy obsession.”

Kageyama begged to disagree. What Tsukishima said wasn’t right because if it were, it would mean that volleyball was the most important thing to Kageyama and that didn’t hold true. Not anymore. “There’s something I love more than volleyball, though. Or should I say, some–”

Tsukishima turned to Kageyama with warning in his eyes. “I swear, Kageyama, if you say love me more than volleyball–”

“What? What’s wrong with me saying that? It’s true.” Kageyama said with a playful smile. He had no doubt that Tsukishima would scold him for saying ‘cheesy’ stuff.

“How can you say that with a straight face? Have you no shame?”

“There’s no shame in me saying that I love you the most.” Kageyama meant every word. Volleyball had always been a big part of his life and it still was – it would always be – but Tsukishima was also an important part of his life now, someone he treasured far more than anything else, and he wanted Tsukishima to know that. “I love you,” he said, leaning in for a kiss.

#

The day after the festival, Kageyama woke up in Tsukishima’s apartment at some disrespectful hour, courtesy of an urgent call from a panicky Sato.

“Did you or did you not–” Sato began, sounding more harried with every word, “–have dinner with your boyfriend at Hisakata last week?”

 _The dinner at Hisakata_ , Kageyama thought wistfully, _that seemed like forever ago_. “I did,” he said, “Why are you asking?”

“Ah… I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing… For me, personally, that’s a good thing since now I’m assured that you were with your boyfriend and you’re not a useless scumbag of a cheater _but_ – and here’s the tricky part – it’s probably not a good thing in terms of your image…” Sato finished lamely.

Image. Kageyama had never hated a word so much. Anytime that word was mentioned around him, something terrible usually followed. “What’s going on now?” He asked, irritated.

“Uhm, here’s the thing, another story about you came out. Somehow paparazzi got photos of you entering the Hisakata and while they have no idea who you were with because they didn’t get a photo of your boyfriend, tabloid writers are convinced that you were on a date. I mean, that was pretty obvious even to me, but that’s not the problem. They’ve confirmed it’s not Miss Himeko because she was photographed on the same day at an event in Kyoto so, congratulations, now everyone thinks you’re a useless scumbag cheater who is seeing someone else behind Murata Himeko’s back – and that’s still not the worst part.”

“Just tell it to me straight, please,” Kageyama wasn’t sure he could sit patiently through more of this.

“Okay, ah… well, this is just me but… now that you’ve confirmed that you were, in fact, on a date with your _boyfriend_ , I’m guessing it’s not long before someone uncovers that.” Sato took a deep breath. “What kind of story do you think they’re going to run once they find out?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a bit tricky for me (especially the cafe conversation). You have no idea how many times I went back to revise. T_T
> 
> P.S. I hope it's clear now that Himeko isn't Tsukishima's rival for Kageyama's affections. She was never supposed to be. Himeko is my attempt to subvert the trope of the bitchy female rival that suddenly arrives to make trouble for the main couple because I dislike that trope :P
> 
> P.P.S. Yep, our favorite villain, the lying press, is back at it.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still alive, don't worry.

The apartment was silent. This early, only the hum of the coffee machine gave any indication that there were people awake. Kageyama would have stayed in bed longer but after Sato’s phone call, he couldn’t will himself back to sleep. Tsukishima woke up shortly after (what with Kageyama tossing sleeplessly on the bed) and the both of them decided to start the day early.

Tsukishima was seated at the kitchen table, eyes glued to the laptop screen while Kageyama occupied himself with preparing coffee – with milk for him and black with no sugar for Tsukishima.

“Here you go,” Kageyama said as he set both mugs down on the table and took a seat on the opposite side. He watched Tsukishima’s expression intently, looking for any signs of anger or distress. “Everything alright?”

Tsukishima shut the laptop and met Kageyama with a piercing gaze. “What do you think?”

Kageyama couldn’t say he didn’t expect that kind of reaction. If anything, he would have been surprised if Tsukishima didn’t take this news like it was the end of the world. He knew that Tsukishima would take it harder than he did. “It’s not that bad,” he consoled, going for levity to diffuse the mounting tension, “So what if they found out I was on a date with someone else? I could just say that Himeko isn’t my girlfriend – which is the truth, by the way.”

“Even if you do that, they’re not going to stop until they find out who you were with. Do you really not get it or are you just pretending?” Tsukishima tried to keep a calm façade but Kageyama could tell he was seething, could feel the roiling anger within.

“Don’t get mad at me. I didn’t ask for any of this.”

“I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at this – this situation. We shouldn’t have had dinner at such a conspicuous place.”

Kageyama couldn’t believe his ears. “Are you saying this is our fault? Last I checked, being a pro athlete didn’t mean I’m no longer allowed to go out like a normal person.”

“That’s not the point I was making,” Tsukishima said in exasperation, “Anyway, I guess there’s no use stressing over that now, is there? That’s already happened. From here on though we couldn’t afford to be careless anymore.”

“Oh, I see…” Kageyama could tell where this conversation was going. “You were like this too back at the coffee shop. You want us to be discreet. You want us to _hide_.”

“I want us to be _careful_.” Tsukishima narrowed his eyes at Kageyama, disappointment clear on his face. “And you promised.”

Kageyama was taken aback at the reminder. “Right, I’m sorry,” he said with a gentleness that belied the earlier strain in their conversation. He did promise to be careful, didn’t he? And as much as he hated having to hide, he hated breaking his promise to Tsukishima even more. “If this is what you really want, then I’ll do it. Not because I think what we have is some dirty secret we need to hide but because you asked me to.” He moved so he was standing in front of Tsukishima. “But I have to know, why do you want us to hide so badly? I never thought of you as the type of person who would care what people thought.”

Tsukishima looked like he would rather bite his own tongue and swallow it whole than answer the question.

The standoff lasted for a few seconds before Tsukishima gave in. He took a deep breath, bracing himself for what was to come. “I don’t care what people think about me but, that’s the thing – this was never about me,” He said, the fight gone from his words. “If this comes out, it can end your career. What are you going to do then? Do you think I’d be happy knowing that your life was ruined because of me?” Tsukishima sounded tired. “I can’t live with that. Not again.”

Those words were like a punch to Kageyama’s gut. He should have known. This was still tied to what happened six years ago, wasn’t it? And here he thought that Tsukishima had finally made peace with everything. Maybe moving on wasn’t as easy as he had imagined.

Kageyama reached out and wrapped his arms around Tsukishima. “Hey, none of that now,” he said, his gentle voice softening the reprimand, “We already put that behind us.”

Tsukishima was silent and Kageyama hugged him tighter, as though he would slip out of reach the moment Kageyama’s hold slackened. They spent a good while just standing there, with Tsukishima’s face buried in Kageyama’s neck and Kageyama holding onto him like it was a matter of life and death.

“I’m fine now,” Tsukishima said after what seemed like forever. He pushed Kageyama a little further away so Kageyama could see his face. “Sorry about that. This whole situation is just bringing up some pretty unpleasant memories, but I’m fine. Kind of feels good to finally get that out in the open, actually.”

“You know I will never blame you no matter what happens, right?”

“Or so you keep telling me.”

“That’s because you refuse to believe it.”

“It’s force of habit, I think.” Tsukishima probably intended for that to come off as a joke but Kageyama could tell there was an underlying truth in it. Tsukishima had always been the type to keep himself closed off and not rely on anybody.

“It’s about time you learned how to put your faith in me.”

Tsukishima raised an eyebrow. “Is it just me or did you just sound pretty capable just now?”

“I’m always capable. They don’t call me a genius for nothing.”

Tsukishima actually laughed at that. It pleased Kageyama to hear it, even though the laughter was at his expense. “Okay, now you’re just being cocky.”

Kageyama reached for Tsukishima’s hand. “Hey, we’re in this together, okay? We’re going to fix this so don’t go bailing out on me.”

Tsukishima squeezed Kageyama’s hand. Reassurance. “I won’t. I promise.”

#

Kageyama could breathe properly now that he and Tsukishima had come to an understanding. The matter of hiding their relationship had often caused arguments between him and Tsukishima because he felt like he was being treated like a dirty secret, but now that they had had a proper conversation, he understood Tsukishima better and felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his chest.

That afternoon, Kageyama headed to the Falcons’ gym for the first time in months, walking with a spring in his step. If there was one good thing to come out from the recent rumors about him, it was that they resulted in the cancellation of the remaining schedules for the press tour, which meant that Kageyama was now back in Tokyo for good and could go back to training on a regular schedule.

“Oh, look who’s back!” One of Kageyama’s teammates, Akagi, exclaimed the moment Kageyama stepped through the entrance.

“Well, if it isn’t Future Director Kageyama!” Another teammate, Ono, added.

“Isn’t that canceled now that he’s been caught cheating?” Akagi replied, and if Kageyama hadn’t known Ono and Akagi for a long time, he would’ve raged at both of them for sticking their noses where it didn’t belong. Good thing they were all friends, otherwise, Kageyama wouldn’t have recognized those words as the good-natured teasing they were intended to be. As annoying as they were, Kageyama knew Ono and Akagi didn’t say those things with malice. He still couldn’t help being a little miffed, though.

“If that’s a reference to the rumors about me and Director Murata, then let me tell you none of that is true,” Kageyama said.

“Really? But rumor has it that the President has been playing matchmaker for the two of you,” Ono said. “Isn’t he the one who introduced you to the Director and told you to be her date to the gala?”

“Where did you hear that?”

“I have my sources.” Ono raised his eyebrows suggestively. “But I see you’re not denying that part, huh?”

“Whatever.” Kageyama turned away from his teammate. “I came here to train, not to gossip.” He was in such a good mood and he wouldn’t let those two ruin this day for him. He headed to one of the available courts and began practicing his serve, ignoring Ono and Akagi’s chatter.

#

If Ono and Akagi hadn’t been enough to ruin Kageyama’s mood, then reporters hounding him left and right certainly were.

Kageyama didn’t know how it happened but somehow, word got out that he was at the Falcons training facility and by the time he was about to leave, about a dozen of those vultures had been waiting at the gates. He had been planning to spend the night at Tsukishima’s place again but, as he had been told, he should stay at the dorms to avoid being accosted by reporters on his way out. He agreed only because he was worried someone would end up following him to Tsukishima’s apartment and he didn’t want to trouble Tsukishima like that.

“They move pretty fast, don’t they?” Tsukishima said over the phone. Since Kageyama couldn’t meet him tonight, they had to settle with this. Kageyama had thought they were done with not seeing each other now that they were back in the same city but apparently not. “I have to say, I’m impressed.”

“I’m not,” Kageyama said, “I’d be glad if they would all just go away.”

“This is pretty tame, though, you have to admit. A dozen or so reporters? Last time, it was practically a zombie horde.”

“You know, that’s a pretty accurate description. I’m beginning to think having no humanity is a requirement for the job.”

“Hey, now, I belong in the same line of work.”

“Exactly.”

Tsukishima chuckled. “You’re hurting my feelings here.”

“Don’t worry, babe, I’ll make it up to you.” Kageyama already knew how Tsukishima was going to react.

“Gross.”

“Hah! I knew you would say that!” Kageyama laughed, entirely pleased with himself. “You really hate it when I call you that, don’t you?”

“I hate pet names. Pet names are gross and they deserve to die.”

Kageyama could only imagine the disgusted expression on Tsukishima’s face right now. “Then what am I supposed to call you?” Kageyama smiled to himself. A plan was beginning to take form in his mind. “Don’t worry, Kei, I’ll make it up to you.” He wondered how Tsukishima was going to react to that. If Tsukishima found pet names gross then first names were probably downright nauseating.

Kageyama may or may have not imagined it but there was a sharp intake of breath on the other line, followed by, “You’re playing a dangerous game here, Tobio.” Tsukishima’s voice sounded low and deep and it went straight to Kageyama’s–

Shit. Kageyama needed a cold shower. Right about now.

#

The phone call with Tsukishima lasted for hours and it was only when Kageyama was about to tuck in for the night when he noticed a voice message from Sato.

_‘Hey, Kageyama, I was trying to call you but your phone was busy. Miss Himeko asked me to tell you to come to see her at her office first thing tomorrow morning. Apparently, there’s a problem? I don’t know the details but she said it’s important so even if you don’t want to go, please do. Anyway, sorry for disturbing you this late. Good night.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short update but it's pretty overdue so I figured I should post now since I might get busy again after this. I've just been drowning in work since July. Hopefully, I can go back to the regular schedule of updating once a month soon.


	14. Chapter 14

Despite its initial cold atmosphere, Himeko’s office grew strangely comfortable as time went on. This was the conclusion Kageyama came to as another minute passed with him inside said office, waiting for Himeko to make an appearance. The secretary stationed outside had said that Himeko’s earlier meeting was running late so her schedule with Kageyama had been pushed back. Kageyama had been annoyed but the situation was hardly the secretary’s fault so he had no reason to snap at her. In the end, he settled for taking a look around, examining his surroundings with mild interest – something he hadn’t been able to do last time he was here.

The office had sparse decoration and seemed to be keeping up with a color theme as all of the furniture were in either black or white. The leather couch was white, the coffee table was black, the office desk and chair were black, the bookshelf in the corner was white – everywhere Kageyama turned, it was either of those two colors.

The only splash of vibrant color in the room were the three red picture frames arranged in a neat row on the topmost level of the bookshelf. The one in the middle was a family picture of the Murata family taken years ago, featuring a younger-looking President Murata, a teenaged Himeko, and an older couple who Kageyama guessed were their parents. The one on the left seemed more recent – it was a picture of the Murata siblings on the red carpet of some event, standing arm in arm and wearing matching big smiles.

Among the three photos, though, the one that caught Kageyama’s interest the most was the last one, the one on the right, that showed a young boy up in the air facing a volleyball net, body poised to deliver a spike. The boy’s face was angled away from the camera but Kageyama could guess who it was.

“I see you’ve been making yourself home in my office,” Himeko suddenly said from behind Kageyama.

Kageyama turned to face Himeko. He hadn’t even noticed her arrival. “I was just passing the time,” he said by way of explanation. He didn’t want to appear nosy.

“No worries. I wouldn’t put those photos on display if I got angry when people looked at them.” Himeko picked the last frame up and looked at it with sad eyes. “Did you know my brother played volleyball in high school? He was good and I’m not just saying that because he’s my brother, but then he got injured and he hadn’t been able to play since.”

No, Kageyama certainly did not know that. It wasn’t public information and he had never been the type to pry into other people’s lives. If they wanted to volunteer the information then fine, otherwise, he wasn’t going to ask. Now that he knew, though, Kageyama finally had an answer to an age-old question he had. It didn’t take a genius to figure it out.

Himeko studied Kageyama’s expression. “So you’ve put two and two together, huh? That’s right. That’s the reason why my brother helped you out and why he formed the Falcons. To put it nicely, he sees part of himself in you. To put it crudely, he’s living vicariously through you. Though, I don’t think he would have gone pro even if he didn’t get injured. Someone needed to step up to run the business and he’s too responsible to flake on that. But, anyway, we’re not here to talk about my brother, are we?” She put the frame back down and headed towards her desk.

Kageyama took that as his cue and followed suit, taking a seat on the couch. “Right. So, Sato said you had a problem?”

“Not me.” Himeko pulled open a desk drawer and took out a manila envelope, which she unceremoniously dumped on the coffee table in front of Kageyama. “You.”

“What’s this?” Kageyama picked the folder up gingerly. He had never been superstitious but he had a bad feeling about it. He opened the folder and inside, found a single low-resolution photo that made his blood run cold. In Kageyama’s hands was a photo of him and Tsukishima, standing at the lobby of a certain ryokan in Hakone. “Where did this come from?”

“Guess.”

Kageyama peered back down at the photo, now crumpled at the edges with how tightly he was gripping it. Judging from the low angle, it seemed to have been taken from behind the receptionist’s desk by someone trying to be discreet with the fact that they were taking the photo in the first place.

A memory came back to Kageyama. A memory of that one girl behind the counter who looked at him a little too closely. “The receptionist.”

“Correct.” Himeko walked over and sat on the couch opposite Kageyama’s. “Enterprising girl, that one. Our dear friend Yamazaki was looking for leads on your Hisakata date and, with some digging, found out that you went on a couple’s trip to Hakone a few months ago. Yamazaki was asking around about your trip companion and this clever girl said she had a photo but she will only show it to him for a price.”

Kageyama couldn’t decide if he should feel angry or disgusted. People were such revolting creatures sometimes. “Has Yamazaki seen it?” He asked, unable to hide the fear in his voice. If Yamazaki – or anyone, for that matter – saw this photo, they would know about Tsukishima and then Tsukishima’s peaceful life would never be the same. Kageyama couldn’t let that happen. If he and Tsukishima we’re going to reveal their relationship, it would be on their own terms and not like this.

“No, and he has no clue about what’s in the photo either, just that it shows you and your secret lover,” Himeko replied and Kageyama found he could breathe again. “I hired someone to tail Yamazaki. He was being followed when he went to Hakone and when Miss Receptionist refused to show him the photo without upfront pay, he left the ryokan. Possibly to regroup and then try the next day, but he never got the chance. My guy swooped in, bought the photo, and made sure all other copies, even digital ones, were destroyed. We may have threatened Miss Receptionist a little bit so rest assured, she’ll keep quiet and won’t stir up any more trouble. That photo in your hand is the only copy left. The only reason I haven’t gotten rid of it is that I wanted you to see it first. You can destroy it the moment we're done here.”

Kageyama had reservations about threatening innocent people but he couldn’t help but feel relieved that the crisis had been averted. Not for the first time, he felt grateful that Himeko’s evil powers were being used for his benefit. He wouldn’t want to be on its receiving end. “Thank you,” he said, meaning every word.

“Again, not doing this for you,” Himeko said matter-of-factly, “but now that we’re on the topic, what do you plan to do? I’m not trying to be offensive but this is a pretty big secret you’ve got here and if not Yamazaki, someone is bound to uncover it eventually. What’s the plan? Do you even have one?”

Kageyama paused to consider. There was a hatchling of a plan sitting in the back of his mind, but he hadn’t given it much consideration because he had no idea how he was going to execute it. He never imagined that Himeko would be the first person he was going to discuss it with but, then again, Himeko was in the best position to help him. Kageyama had originally thought of asking Sato for help but maybe Himeko was a more sensible choice. She had evil powers, after all. Maybe Kageyama could convince her to use it for him one more time.

“Well,” Kageyama began, “I actually do…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry no tsukki this chapter. just setting things up since we're nearing the end of this thing.


End file.
